The Bonds of Trust
by Key to the Rose-Colored Clock
Summary: Amu and Ikuto are finally together & Tadase is happy with his girlfriend. But when Tadase decides he wants Amu back and provokes Ikuto into a fight, Ikuto misses and hits Amu harder than he's ever hit in his life. But now, Amu is terrified of Ikuto.
1. Chapter 1 The Beginning And The Middle

_Welcome to the sequal to Three Hearts, One Broken! I'm very excited about this sequal, as I hope you are too! If you're a new reader, i'm not going to ask you to go read all 18 chapters before you read this, so I hope I can explain everything going on in the characters lives! :)_

_Please do review, i'm hoping I can beat my record of 76 reviews. Don't be afraid to help me improve my writing. Okay, time to read. Utau, disclaimer._

Utau: DeaNihptus does not own Shugo Chara! :D_  
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><p>"I love you, Amu." Ikuto said again, the twentieth time that day.<p>

"Again!" She urged, squeezing her boyfriend of a month's hand harder.

"Amu, I tell you thirty times every day. It's been about a month. 30 multiplied by 30 is 900. 900 times, Amu! Do you really need me to say it _more_?" He laughed. Amu stared at him indignantly, and then laughed with him.

"I suppose not, but hearing it really turns me on." She said playfully, moving herself onto his lap. They were alone in her room, sitting on her bed, but they both knew that Ami came in every seven minutes to check on them. In fact, they were so clever that when they noticed this pattern, they used it to their advantage. "7 minutes, 15 seconds. Time to separate." Amu sighed. She didn't want to part of Ikuto, even if it was for a few seconds and only a few feet. That week and a half she had hated him seemed like an eternity. An eternity she would never get back, she always added. As predicted, Ami ran in.

"Momma! Papa! They're playing crazy eights!" Ami reported loudly from Amu's room. There was silence, and then:

"Wahhh!" Her parents rushed up to Amu's room and pushed Ikuto to the ground. When they realized that the couple actually was playing crazy eights (as far as they knew, at least) they felt very ridiculous.

"I told you, no one says 'crazy eights' anymore when they're doing that. It's an our-generation-thing!" Amu's mother whispered angrily to her husband. He sighed.

"Sorry, Ikuto. Parents will be parents." The father turned to Ami. "Ami-chan, want to go take pictures downstairs?" He asked eagerly.

"Owkay!" She replied, following her parents downstairs. Amu waited a bit to make sure they were gone, than resumed her position on Ikuto's lap on the bed.

"Sorry 'bout that. My dad's crazy paranoid. He knows nothing about you and doesn't trust you." Amu said sadly. Ikuto smiled.

"He's rightly afraid. He doesn't know what I'm secretly planning to do to his little girl." He whispered, kissing Amu's cheek devilishly.

"You're planning to kiss me?" Amu guessed eagerly. Ikuto smiled wider.

"Kissing is part of it, yes." He answered, twirling her hair with his fingers. He gave her a sly grin and looked at her chest.

"Don't count on it." She said, taking herself off of Ikuto's lap. "I didn't do it with Tadase, and I'm not doing it with you." Ikuto made a pouty-face.

"Pwease?" He asked, mimicking Ami. Amu giggled a bit and kissed his lips.

"Nope." She said between long kisses. "No, not happening, no, nope." Ikuto enjoyed the kissing, but still wanted Amu. Ikuto pressed himself against Amu and pushed her to her back. He smiled at her from above her, and she blushed redder than ever before.

"I said no…" She whispered, unable to say any more. Ikuto licked his lips.

"We won't do anything you don't want to do." He said firmly, grabbing her sides. "Just tell me when you want to stop." He added. When Amu nodded, he took initiative and crushed his lips against hers. She kissed him back, hard, and when he asked for entrance into her mouth with his tongue, she allowed it. He grabbed at her butt and took his shirt off. Amu traced the muscles of her boyfriend.

"S-stop…" She moaned; he was trying to take her shorts off. Ikuto sighed but did stop, which Amu greatly appreciated. Now it was Amu's turn to surprise him. She rolled over so that he was below her and started kissing his neck.

"I love you, Ikuto." She said as she kissed his gorgeous chest. He now tried to take off her shirt. "Cut it out." She growled. Now Amu was no longer in a kissing mood and got off the bed.

"Amuuuuu." Ikuto whined. "Don't be like that!'

"I told you, you wouldn't listen. Now put your shirt on, Ami will be in here any minute." She ordered. Her kitten promptly obeyed. To show she wasn't angry, she quickly kissed his lips before Ami came back in.

"Bye Tadase, I'm going to a movie with Rima." Ronnie called. Ronnie and her parents had moved into the Hotori household about a month ago. She would only be staying another month in their home, and one more month after that in Japan. Ronnie was an extremely skilled pianist, who had recently become Tadase's girlfriend.

"Bye love!" He called in English to his American girlfriend. They had met when Tadase went on vacation in California and instantly clicked. It was after Tadase and Amu broke up that these two's love flourished. "You're birthday present will be waiting for you when you get back!" he added, also in English. Ronnie laughed.

"You just said my birthday present smells like a fire-breathing dragon on a hot winter balloon." She could not hold back, he had just made such an enormous mistake. The two were teaching each other their languages, and Ronnie had taken to Japanese better than Tadase to English.

"Oh, my bad." He said with a large blush strewn across his face.

Ronnie smiled and kissed him.

"I'll be back in two hours. You'd better have my birthday cake and gifts ready." She teased. Tadase watched her leave for her movie with a terrible feeling in his gut; he didn't have anything planned for her party.

"I hate this movie." Utau announced as she shifted her weight. Amu had come over to watch a movie with her, and Ikuto would be home soon. Utau wanted to spend some friend-time with Amu before he got back.

"Yeah, I guess it sucks pretty badly. What do you want to do instead?" She asked after turning off the movie. Utau thought for a moment.

"Let's talk! Like, girl to girl." Utau suggested. She had been stuck inside for the last week because of a nasty cold, and so was not updated on all the drama of her friends. "Tell me everything you know that has happened!" Amu laughed and then considered the question.

"Alright… let's see… over the last week…" She thought hard but was still unable to think of anything. "Oh, right! Rima and Nagihiko are going steady. They're very happy together, and are with each other every other day. Hano-chan and Katsuro-sempai returned from their trip to Paris yesterday. Hano-chan is actually coming over to my house later tonight to tell me about it. Uh, a boy named Kukai, who moved here a few months ago, has apparently been hanging out 'with a Tsukiyomi'. Whoever told me about him said that, so naturally I assumed Ikuto." Utau nodded.

"Kukai, eh. You know anything about him? Like, does he have a girlfriend?" Utau asked innocently. She was secretly going out with Kukai. It wasn't official, but they were definitely dating. Utau saw this as a chance to see if Amu knew they were together, or if Kukai was cheating on her.

"I think he's dating a blond. I know I heard someone in the background say, 'oh yeah, he's dating a friggin' hot blond. I'd bang her.' " She replaced her voice with a bad impression of a deep guy voice for the quote. Utau laughed.

"I see. Alright then." Utau said, appeased. She was almost positive that was her. Just then the front door opened loudly, and running was heard. A large, heavily-built man with a ski mask and a gun was standing in the doorway of the living room. He looked at the girls happily. After all, he was alone in a house with a fifteen year old and a sixteen year old. He looked forward to what he would do to them, but first, the money.

"Get on the ground!" He shouted, pointing his gun at them. They both ducked and covered their heads. "I said the GROUND!" He roared, taking a step forward. The two terrified girls threw themselves to the ground. When the robber was satisfied with their position, he tied them both up with duct tape and put them in a corner. He promised to return once he had stolen anything of value in the house.

"Amu," Utau whispered, just barely being able to speak through her gag. "Ikuto will be home soon." She was clearly unsure if this was a good or a bad thing. Amu considered it. He could get help and he could free them. Or he could get captured and be forced to watch what the robber would do to the girls. Amu shuttered.

_What are we going to do?_


	2. Chapter 2 Robbers and Fights

_Chapter two of The Bonds of Trust is out! Yay! Can any of you guess why it's called that? Make your plot-line guesses regarding the title in your review, and whoever gets the closest will get a special shout out in chapter 3 ;)_

_Alright, Ikuto, take it away!_

Ikuto: I don't like this. What's gonna happen to Amu and Utau... I love them both so much...

fan-girls: AAAAAAAAAAAAH! HE'S SO KAWAII!

Me: Yes, I know, thanks :D

Ikuto: ?

Me: Well i'm the one giving you this personality... whatever, do the disclaimer -_-

Ikuto: DeaNihptus doesn't own Shugo Chara. Sorrrrry :(_  
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><p>Amu and Utau listened carefully for the robber. First he went into Utau's room, and he stayed in there for a very long time. Utau had many valuable necklaces, earrings, rings, and other valuable items strewn about her room. The robber walked back into the living room where the terrified girls were tied up in a corner. He tossed some modified clothes to the girls, though they couldn't catch it.<p>

"I took the liberty of cutting up your clothes to make lingerie. You're a teenage girl, right? Where's all your lingerie?" He asked mockingly. "You'll need these for later." He added in a very dark tone. Utau and Amu exchanged horrified looks. Next the man walked into Ikuto's room. Ikuto was the average teenage boy, so he didn't have too many items that were valuable. Or so Amu thought. The man came back in, as if he was teasing his prey every time he found something of value.

"Pretty girl with pink hair, was your boyfriend planning to give you this?" he laughed, waving a pearl necklace in his hands. Amu gasped. Yes, it was beautiful, but that was not why she was upset that he was taking it. Ikuto had paid a great deal of money for it, and now he wouldn't even get to use it. He laughed maniacally again and ran into the mother's room.

"He's a very immature robber." Utau noted. "Not typical." Amu stared at her in disbelief.

"How did you get your gag off?" She asked, slightly impressed.

"I'm cool like that. I can help you with yours, if you don't mind me pulling at your face with my teeth." She joked. Within a few minutes, Utau and Amu were both able to speak. This didn't solve any of their problems though. If they spoke too loud, the man would come back in and re-gag them. They couldn't use their teeth to free themselves, and if someone did come inside, yelling for them would get everyone caught.

"What are we going to do?" Amu asked desperately. Utau sighed.

"Wait, Amu, didn't you leave your phone on the couch?" Utau checked. Amu nodded, but didn't follow. She didn't have the ability to stand or dial, so why did her phone matter? Utau looked closely at how the two girls were tied up. Their legs were duct-taped together and close to their chests while the tape ran around their whole back. Their hands were tied together behind their back, and they were certainly not going to get any tape off of them.

"I- I think I might be able to hop over to my phone. If I can flip it open with my teeth, I can probably dial with my tongue…" Amu said as she tried to get into hopping position. She spent five minutes hopping and rolling over to the couch as quietly as possible. Once there, she did as she said she could and dialed Ikuto's number. This wasn't hard, because he was on speed dial. She waited breathlessly as the phone rang.

"Hey babe." He answered, unaware of what was happening.

"Ikuto, thank God you answered! Utau and I are in your house and a guy is robbing your house! He tied us up! I don't know how long I can talk to you; he likes to come in and gloat when he finds something good!" She managed in a hushed whisper voice. For a moment there was silence.

"Are you okay?" He asked plainly.

"Well, sort of. We're tied up in your living room. He said he's going to do things to us when he's done stealing. Ikuto, please, get help!" She asked, tears falling from her golden eyes.

"I'll be right there."

"No!" She said, a bit too loud. "You'll just get caught too! Get the police!" She urged. Utau shushed her.

"I'm going to protect you Amu." He promised through gritted teeth.

"Then protect me by calling the police!"

"Amu, I hear footsteps." Utau whispered.

"I've got to go. I think he's coming back. I love you Ikuto…" She said, but she didn't wait for him to reply before hanging up. Amu managed to get back to where the man had left her before he came back into the living room. He looked at them and growled when he noticed they had taken off their gags.

"Bad little birds, pretty though you are. Shouldn't be taking off your gaggins' now should yah?" He said angrily as he went to put them bag on. Utau looked at him defiantly.

"Why? Are we talking? Are we making noise? Are we yelling for help? You don't need to gag us, obviously. So don't." She hissed. The robber stood and stared at the girls.

"Well… it's unusual for the victims to not have something to stop them from making noise…" He said defensively. Utau laughed at him.

"You're a very unorthodox robber, Mr. Thief, so doing this won't make you any more unusual. If we aren't making noise, what reason do you have to prevent us from speaking? Do you gag a mute man?" Utau was using a simple form of logic and reasoning. It was obvious that this robber wasn't exactly the most educated man, and he quickly fell for her plan.

"Fine, you stupid birds. Keep your gags off. But I'm going to check up on you two even more now!" Once he had left the room again, the two girls let out relief-filled sighs. Now they just had to escape.

Tadase looked around the house for anything he could use to decorate. There was no spare party supplies, no decent snacks, nothing he could wrap up and pass off as a present, and no time! With only another two hours, how was someone supposed to plan a party, invite people, throw the party, buy the snacks, cake and presents? It couldn't be done. Who would come with only an hour of notice?

Did he dare call Amu? No, Ronnie wouldn't like that. Ronnie and Amu were very good friends, but his and Amu's past relationship and break up might make Ronnie uneasy if the two were alone together in his house. Her and her family had come to stay with them about a month ago, and it had been the best month Tadase could remember.

_Except for when Amu and I were together. No memory, no matter how sweet, could beat that._ He reminded himself. He was quite happy with not dating Amu anymore, but sometimes he longed for something that Amu had and Ronnie didn't. Sometimes he wanted that part of Amu… but he wasn't dating her anymore, and so could never have it.

"Tadase," his soft-spoken mother called from her bedroom. Tadase rushed over to her immediately. "I'm going to my friend's house. We are discussing things. You remember Mrs. Chang?" Tadase nodded. "Good. I will see you in three hours." She said as she looked around for her purse. Once she had found it, she bid her son farewell and left for Mrs. Chang's. Tadase was now completely desperate; his father was at work, his mother was not home, Ronnie's parents were gone, and he only had an hour and a half! As if to add to his stress, his cell phone rang. The caller ID read Nagihiko.

"Hello?" He answered snappily.

"Whoa, sorry, did I catch you at a bad time?" Nagihiko asked quickly.

"No, no, Nagi, you're fine. I'm just between a rock and a hard place, is all." Nagi didn't answer. Tadase had forgotten that that was an American saying. He apologized and explained it.

"Oh, okay. Look, Rima wants to know what to get Ronnie for her birthday. She wants to buy her a genuine kimono and some wooden sandals. You think Ronnie'll like that?"

"Hm, yeah, probably." Tadase answered absentmindedly. Then it hit him! "Hey, do you think you get buy another present, or Rima could, for me? I'll pay you back later; I just don't have the time or ability to do anything right now." He asked with a breathless voice. Nagihiko made a "mehhh" noise.

"Dude, I'd love to, you know that, but I didn't bring cash and Rima only brought enough for the kimono and sandals. I'm really sorry." He apologized before he had to hang up. Tadase forgave him and let him go, though he was still quite disgruntled about how he was going to throw Ronnie the party.

Time passed quickly. Before Tadase knew it, Ronnie was back. He heard her and her friends say goodbye and her walk in. For a moment there was total silence, and then he heard her walking again. She walked right into the kitchen, where he was, and looked around for him. He jumped out from behind a counter with a giant pizza box in his hands. Ronnie… well she was certainly surprised.

"Hey, babe!" He said in English. "I got you a frizza! It's steaming cold and delicious!" Ronnie laughed at him.

"Pi-zza. H-ot. Nice try though." She corrected with a smile. They ate the pizza happily as they watched her favorite American movie. She cuddled up with him and covered herself with a warm quilt.

"Dear…" Tadase began, not sure how to tell her that he hadn't made any party arrangements. "This is your party." He said, just coming out with it. Ronnie looked at him for a minute and didn't say anything.

"What?" She asked unsurely.

"I couldn't put together a party in time. I'm sorry." Ronnie looked at him with more anger than he had ever seen before.

"Tadase!" She shouted. "This isn't just my birthday party; it's _our_ one month anniversary!" She jumped from his lap and stared down at him angrily. He leaped up as well, being slightly defensive.

"You are so rude! Pizza and a movie aren't good enough for you?" He demanded. His girlfriend was acting so spoiled.

"It's my sweet sixteen! I gave up my sweet sixteen to be here, in your home, in JAPAN, and I don't get a party? Why!"

"Because you didn't give me any time!" He retorted.

"I started telling you two weeks ago!" She hissed. Tadase vaguely remembered her mentioning it every now and then, but he hadn't been paying much attention. He wasn't about to point this out, of course. _Amu was never like this. _

"I'm sorry I didn't know you wanted a huge party! Next time, TELL ME!"

"Tell you? I must have told you a thousand times!" She shrieked. Tadase noticed small crystal colored ovals falling from her eyes. He couldn't imagine her possibly crying over something like this. Amu sure wouldn't have.

"You know, Amu wouldn't be freaking out like this! She'd be grateful!" He said without thinking. Ronnie looked at him with a twisted face. She couldn't believe he would say something so horrible.

"I see." She said, withholding tears. Her efforts were in vain, for in seconds, her face was drenched in the salty water. She turned from Tadase, packed her bags, and left the Hotori home.


	3. Chapter 3 Tadase's Conclusion

_Welcome to Chapter 3! Yay! I'm so excited, I got 10 reviews for the last two chapters (or it was 10 when I checked a few days ago)! I can't wait for you guys to read this. The Bonds of Truth really originates **here**, at **this** point. Amu's leg, Ronnie's leaving, Tadase's realization, and all the other stuff that happens really makes The Bonds of Truth, and it's a key chapter! How can an author be any less excited? I did take a while to get it out (don't shoot me), but I'm sure you'll be happy with it. Ikuto, the disclaimer, please._

_Ikuto: DeaNihptus does not own Shugo Chara. K?_

_Tadase: I'm going to end your life, Ikuto Tsukiyomi. Just you wait._

_Ikuto: ...?  
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><p>"We don't have a lot of time… where is Ikuto?" Utau demanded in a whisper. Amu bit her lip; Ikuto was very late, and it was an emergency! Ten minutes had passed since Amu was on the phone with Ikuto, and no one had come. She had begged him to call the police, and not come on his own, but neither he nor the police were there! The thief had come in twice since Utau convinced him to let them both have their gags off. Something was off about the thief, but neither girl could quite decide what.<p>

"I don't know…" Amu was so afraid she wasn't sure what to do anymore. It was obvious that the thief was planning on raping them, or something close to that. She had told Ikuto that. Why wasn't he there yet? Even if he needed to come up with some sort of plan, or the police did, wouldn't he do it with haste?

"Birds!" The thief called as he ran towards the living room where they were tired up. "I'm almost done! Don't forget about those clothes I threw to you." He hinted with a wink. The girls both shuttered, but he didn't notice. "The only thing I'm worried about is the safe. I just can't seem to get it open, you see? I'm working on it, though, so don't be afraid. I'll be back for you in about five minutes." He promised with another wink, and then left to work on the safe again. Utau and Amu looked at each other with terrified expressions.

"No more time. We escape now!" Utau said fearlessly. If they made any noise, they would be caught. If they tried to get free, they'd make noise. They wanted to escape, but they were both sure they couldn't. Amu stared at the window just above their heads, longing to escape from it. But it was a very small window and was rather high, and would require maneuvering if you _weren't_ tied up, let alone if you were. Just as she was staring at it, two familiar faces appeared. They were both looking in with desperate faces. It was Ikuto and Kukai.

"K-Kukai!" Utau shouted, a little too loud. Amu didn't shush her though, because Ikuto was standing next to him. The boys opened the windows and looked down at the girls.

"The police are on their way. They aren't going to be particularly loud because of the whole possible 'hostage situation' thing. Do you guys want us to come in with you?" Both of the girls looked at them as if to say 'do you really need to ASK!'

The two boys climbed in through the window as silently as possible and slithered next to their girlfriends. After being freed from her ropes, Amu grabbed Ikuto and held him in a hug, completely silent, as tears fell like rain drops from her eyes. She hadn't been sure what was going to happen, but now, it seemed like everything would work out. Ikuto kissed her everywhere; her hands, her arms, her shoulders, her neck, her cheek, her hair, and finally a peck on the lips. Utau and Kukai, though, merely sat there kissing each other romantically, not moving at all.

"I-Ikuto… please tell me you brought a weapon of some kind." Amu whispered with hope and faith in her voice. Surely her boyfriend wouldn't have come unarmed. Ikuto smiled astutely.

"Just these guns." He answered, flexing his arms. Amu laughed quietly, but she was still concerned. Would the robber stay out of the living room until the police came? The answer was no.

"Hey, birds, I've gotten something rather good now. It appears to be a pearl necklace and-HEY!" He hissed, seeing Ikuto and Kukai. "Release my captives!" He commanded, throwing the expensive jewelry to the ground. Ikuto and Kukai looked at each other, then at the robber. Immediately they jumped on him, pounding him with their fists, kicking as hard as they could, and doing anything that might prevent the man from reaching the girls.

But the thief was tall and thick, and his muscles were the size of Ikuto's large foot. With two boys, they were evenly matched, but the thief seemed to be more motivated then the boys. They just couldn't figure out why. The criminal threw the boys out of the way and they both hit a wall. They were stunned for only a second, but that was as long as it took for him to grab Amu and throw her across the room. She was hurled over the couch, and might have escaped with only a bruise, if it weren't for a glass vase sitting next to the couch. Her legs made contact with the vase, which immediately shattered into a million tiny shards. She lay on the ground in agony as Ikuto watched. What could he possibly do?

Next the thief turned to Utau. The poor girl was whimpering in the corner. Her eyes gave her away with the fear and hatred shining in them. He was about to punch her right in the gut when Kukai threw himself at the thief and pushed him to the ground. Ikuto followed suit and within seconds, the police were in the living room. They wrestled with the man a bit and threw him into handcuffs.

"Whoever's house this is," one police woman said, "your mother is home." She then took a look at Amu, who was half-unconscious in the other corner, and called an ambulance. Ikuto rode with her to the hospital, holding her hand the whole time. She was released in a few hours, once they had picked all the glass shards from her legs, and brought back to her house. Ikuto stayed up with her in her room while she slept. He looked at her with such concern that he felt like a mother.

_No, not a mother. I care about her mother than a mother ever could._

Amu's eyes fluttered open. She looked around her room, allowing her eyes to adjust to the light, and then noticed Ikuto. He was sitting up straight, as opposed to her laying down in sleep, and looking down at her, his eyes deep in thought. He noticed Amu had awoken at about the same time she noticed he was in the room.

"Ikuto?" She muttered, searching for his hand. She found it and held it tightly in her own. He gave a weak smile as she regained consciousness. "What… what happened?"

"The scariest day of my life happened, that's what. That retarded robber threw you into my mother's best vase, which shattered all over your legs! Your left leg just has about 75 tiny cuts in it from tiny little shards, but your right leg has one long cut that's 10 inches long. It's not very deep and it's not very thick, but it scared the crap out of me. I stayed with you every second though, so don't worry." He whispered. As he retold the story, Amu's eyes lit up in remembrance of the earlier occurring event. She felt her legs with the hand that wasn't in Ikuto's, but sure enough, both legs were thoroughly bandaged. Suddenly a sharp pain ran up her legs, and she moaned angrily. Ikuto rushed downstairs to get her a Tylenol and a glass of water, while her parents and Ami rushed upstairs to see her awake.

Ikuto waited patiently for Amu's family to be satisfied and leave Amu alone again. He wouldn't interfere, or try to send them away, because he knew that Amu wanted to be with them too. So he gently caressed her hair, or massaged her feet, as her family coddled her and fawned over everything she said or did. Finally, Amu insisted that they allow her to rest. They reluctantly left, and shortly after Ikuto followed.

"Wait, Ikuto, where are you going?" She said quickly, trying to stop him from leaving.

"You said you wanted to get some sleep…"

"No, I just wanted them to leave so I could be alone with you!" She assured him. He smiled faintly and kissed her forehead.

"Get some rest, Amu. I'll come over tomorrow. It's been a long day for you, and I'm sorry that it had to be." He said, squeezing her hand tightly. She looked at him with longing.

"Then, before you leave… say it." She asked.

"I love you, Amu Hinamori. I always have, since the first day I met you, and I always will. Remember that."

"I told you already, mom, Mrs. Smith, she's GONE! She got really mad at me and just packed her bags and left. I don't know where she is!" Tadase growled to his parents and Ronnie's parents. He hadn't stabbed her and thrown her to the bottom of a river! Why were they giving him the third degree? She had just decided to leave!

"Tadase, do you not understand the severity of the situation?" his father demanded. Tadase shrugged. He didn't really care if she _was _at the bottom of some river; or at least, not at the moment. At that particular moment, he wanted to be free from anything Ronnie.

"No, I just don't CARE! Try her cell-phone." He suggested before retreating to his room. Locking the door, Tadase checked his phone. Ronnie hadn't sent him a single text, picture message, or called him. He didn't care, but he was still being yelled at because of her. He looked in his wallet at a picture of Amu he had kept after their break up. She looked so happy, so lively, and so compassionate. He wanted her back. He wanted the warmth of her touch, her smile, her personality... he wanted it all!

_I want Amu back. I don't care if Ikuto Tsukiyomi has her; I'm getting my girlfriend back, no matter what it takes. _He promised himself as he turned off the lights to take a nap.


	4. Chapter 4 Breaking a Date

_Herrro! Welcome to The Bonds of Trust Chapter 4! I'm really excited about this chapter, like all of my chapters (xD) and I can't wait for you guys to read it. It's a little short (1,162 words for the story) but still, it's pretty decent. This chapter shows Tadase's evil side :D_

_Rima: I'll do the disclaimer, Dea._

_Dea: Um, I wasn't done introducing the chapter and junk..._

_Rima: Your point? DeaNihptus does not own Shugo Chara._

_Dea: Yeah, what Rima said -_-  
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><p>Amu looked around her room for the second time that day. It appeared to be later now, perhaps even night time. She felt around for Ikuto's hand, but simply couldn't find it anywhere. Where was he? She stood up and started calling him. He wasn't in her room! Where was he? She turned on a lamp and blinked furiously as she adjusted to the light.<p>

"Oh, it's two in the morning…" she said quietly, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "It was just a dream. Ikuto's not here." She added, remembering what had happened. He had promised to be back the next day, or rather, later today (since it's two in the morning), so she wouldn't have to wait long for him. A painful sensation ran up her legs and threw her mouth as she yelped with pain. Blood was dripping from her legs. The wounds had somehow opened up again! She wiped her legs off as hard as she could and then realized that they weren't bleeding at all. She was just half-asleep.

"I wonder why Ikuto loves me so much. We've only been dating for a month. How can he feel so strongly for me?" She questioned herself. She would definitely ask him about that later. But for the time being, she turned off her lamp and fell back into a deep, dream-filled sleep.

"Rima, I'm fine, really…" Amu said, trying to re-explain everything. Rima just continued to look at her with stubborn eyes.

"No, you are hurt, and therefore, require assistance!" She shouted a bit too loudly since they were in public. Rima refused to allow Amu to step over a puddle on the road; she had to assist Amu _over _the puddle. People were starting to stare.

"Eh, Rima… this is a bit out of character for you." Amu noted. Rima growled.

"Either you get in my arms and allow me to carry you over the puddle, or we sit here and argue about it!"

"Rim-"

"ARMS! NOW!" Finally Amu gave in and let Rima lift her up. A few kids were laughing, and a few of their parents were trying to hold back their snickering. They did so unsuccessfully. Once Amu and Rima had stopped their window-shopping, they sat down on a bench in the park. They were directly under a shady oak tree, though the sun was beating down on them, heating the bunch to a warm temperature. Amu sighed and laid back, hoping to catch her breath.

"I'm sorry, Amu. Sometimes I just don't feel like your friend. I feel like… like I'm not a main character in your life." –_DeaNihptus: giggle giggle!_—

"That's ridiculous, Rima, you play a key part in my life. I couldn't do any of this with Ikuto! What boy wants to go shopping with their girlfriend?" She laughed. "Though he probably wouldn't have forced me over that puddle…" she added.

"What about Utau?"

"Utau is at singing lessons most of the time." Amu said sadly. She was good friends with Utau now, but she was always so busy.

"Whatever. Aren't you going to hang with Ikuto later today?" Rima asked, now peaked with curiosity. It was already noon, and Amu hadn't even mentioned a time she needed to get home.

"Yeah, but I told him I didn't feel good today." She said nonchalantly. Rima looked at her in surprise.

"Whaaaaa?"

"I love Ikuto to death, and I want to spend every second with him possible, but he blames himself for what happened. Somehow, my getting hurt is completely his fault. It makes him sad, and frustrated, and determined to make it up to me. I don't like seeing him like that, so I'm giving him a day to calm down." Amu said. Rima agreed that this was a valid reason to blow off time with a boyfriend and began to talk about Nagihiko. They had gotten even more serious than before, and he even gave her a promise ring!

"A promise ring? Rima, you're not yet 16!" Amu exclaimed.

"It's not a marriage promise ring. It's a promise ring that means he'll love me forever." Rima laughed. She didn't tell Amu that secretly, she did wish it was a marriage ring.

"Oh, good." Amu said, relieved.

"I really like Nagihiko, but I think I want to break it off for a bit." Rima said sadly. Amu stared at her best friend. She did not believe Rima would say that and mean it.

"W-why?"

"I just love him too much. Right now we are young and stupid. If we date now, we'll break up before we're old enough to consider getting married… I'd like to be able to consider him a potential husband, and I suppose I can't do that unless we date for the next 4 or 5 years." Rima explained. Amu thought it a valid reason, but couldn't quite understand. She wouldn't leave Ikuto for a chance to marry him. She was confident they'd be together forever.

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Make sure Nagi knows _why_ you want to break up if you decide to." Amu added for her friend. She thought the two made an adorable couple, though, and didn't want to see them break up.

"I'm sure he'll understand…" Rima whispered vulnerably.

"Amu-Chan?" a memorable voice called. Amu looked up to see Tadase standing in front of her, a shopping bag in one hand and $10 in the other.

"Tadase, what are you doing here?" She asked, bewildered by his sudden appearance.

"I'm here to rape you…" he said darkly. Amu and Rima's eyes widened to a point of explosion in an instant. "Ha ha, got you, didn't I? I was doing some shopping and I noticed you here in the park, so I thought I'd say hi." He shrugged his strange joke off and joined in the girls' relieved laughter.

"Wow, Tadase, major-heart attack there!" Amu giggled. Tadase smiled at her like he did when they were dating and then broke from his Trans.

"Oh right, Amu-Chan, I actually got you something from the mall." Tadase said excitedly as he pulled something from his bag. He handed Amu a small black box. Amu looked in it and gasped. Inside was a pure-gold bracelet with small diamonds stretching around it.

"Tadase, how much was this?" She demanded. He smiled even wider.

"A gentleman never tells. Anyway, I've got to get going. See you around!" He said. The girls didn't think much more of Tadase, though he definitely thought more of them. Tadase considered how he would get Amu back. He would need to trick Amu or Ikuto. Maybe both.

_All's fair in love and war._ He thought to himself. _I'm going to use that to win Amu._


	5. Chapter 5 Meeting Up

_Okay, Chapter 5 (i think...) is up! Yay! Hehe, prepare for Chapter 6, cuz it's a doozy (doozie?)! Tadase, you do the disclaimer._

_Tadase: DeaNihptus does NOT own Shugo Chara. Never has, never will. But soon, i'll own Amu... she'll be mine again! :D_

_Dea: Tadase, SHUT UP!  
><em>

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><p>Amu woke up the next morning with a slight headache. Her legs now seemed bruised under the castwrapping, and she could feel herself falling under her own weight. She called for her mother to assist her in going down the stairs, and took some Tylenol to help with the pain. Once Amu had eaten breakfast and relaxed a bit, she grabbed her purse and a good book and departed for the park. She wanted an event-free, lazy day in the sun where she could enjoy herself without worrying about the drama that seemed to follow her life everywhere.

"It's like I'm in a bad fan-fiction." She said with a sigh as she hobbled over to the park bench she had been at yesterday. Her bright pink hair was in a neat pony-tail, and since she was going out into public, she put on a nice sundress and a little mascara, but other than that, she looked rather plain. The book she was reading, Wuthering Heights, was dreadfully boring and hard to understand, yet she strived to get it just a little bit before she had to read it in class in a few years. Amu certainly didn't want to look like a fool.

While taking a break from reading, Amu let her mind wander. She noticed that Ronnie hadn't contacted her in any way, and Amu hadn't seen her around anywhere. That was strange, since Ronnie was such a charismatic socialite.

"Maybe her and Tadase had a fight…" she thought aloud, considering it. That didn't seem likely though. "Then again, Tadase _did_ give me that gift… what if it was for Ronnie but they got in a fight and he decided to give it to me?" She gasped. "Nah, I'm over thinking it."

Ikuto walked slowly back from the movies, his hands in his pockets, his face looking down. He was just thinking about the concrete and how it got there when he bumped into some kid.

"Hey, watch where you're going." He said calmly, not paying any attention to the kid.

"Tsukiyomi Ikuto, I see you aren't with Amu." The kid jeered. Ikuto immediately looked up to see Tadase Hotori standing in front of him with a smug look on his face.

"Hotori, what do you want?"

"I don't want anything. I just think it's interesting that you aren't with Amu, your girlfriend." He noted gleefully. He didn't like it when they spent time together. It might ruin his plan.

"I don't have to spend every second of the day with her. That's how you ruin relationships, moron, by _always_ being with them." He retorted. Tadase growled.

"Fine, fine." He said, regaining his composure. "Just watch yourself, Tsukiyomi Ikuto, all's fair in love and war."

"Ami, can you come help me out of bed?" Amu called as loudly as she could. It was 11 in the morning (she had slept in) and her legs were more sore and stiff than ever. The bruises seemed to devour her legs, and new they were the only thing there. She sighed as Ami rushed up the stairs, not quickly enough. Ami was now a tall eight year old with long dirty blond hair that she hadn't cut since she was five.

"Yes, onē-chan!" Ami responded as she jumped to the edge of Amu's bed. She lifted her older sister carefully out of the bed, paying extra caution to not touch her legs.

"Thanks, Ami." Amu said gratefully. She took a quick shower to refresh herself and went to get dressed. Her phone rang for a minute, indicating a text. Amu checked it.

_Hey Amu, are we still hanging out today?_

Amu smiled at Ikuto's text. She loved him so much, and he had just brightened her day before it had really begun.

_Of course. What do you want to do? _She replied as she applied her makeup. Nothing big, again, she wasn't a huge makeup girl. She was just so naturally pretty that she didn't need it, but that's not why she didn't put much on. She didn't want to come across desperate, was all.

_Hm… that's a hard one. There's so much I can do with you ; ) Well, let's settle for lunch at some restaurant, and then… how about we get some ice-cream?_ Amu couldn't believe he had just thought up the most perfect date in existence. Yes, lots of food, but what a great day she would have!

_O.O you read minds? I'm craving some ice-cream SO MUCH right now. K, see you then. 3 you!_

Amu quickly prepared herself for her date. She did a bit more makeup and brushed her hair about a hundred times more. Grabbing her purse she managed to get down the stairs without calling for help and pulled herself out the door. Once she was outside, she sat down for a minute and massaged her legs, allowing them to relax. As soon as she felt better, she walked back inside, as she had forgotten to tell her parents where she was going, and left for a Chinese Restaurant that she and Ikuto loved.

Amu didn't wait around long, because Ikuto arrived shortly after her in blue-jeans and a black tee-shirt. Amu thought he looked sexy in a very casual way.

"Hm, looking as hot as ever, I see." He said flirtatiously, right near her face. Amu blushed furiously.

"I thought you weren't being a perve anymore." She said, trying desperately to wipe the red from her face.

"Eh, it's more fun this way, isn't it, Ammmu." He said, blowing air into her ear as he said her name. Amu turned from him and crossed her arms.

"Shall we eat now?" She said, once she had composed herself. They walked into the Chinese Restaurant and sat down in their favorite booth. The couple had a fantastic time as they talked and ate foods from another culture.

"Ikuto… I've been meaning to ask… why haven't you been perverted in so long?" She asks quietly, not wanting people around them to hear. As a response, he lifted his hand in the air, then went and squeezed her butt. Amu gasped.

"I'm still just as perverted as ever, I just try not to be too much around you." He said, squeezing the air with his hand after squeezing Amu to demonstrate how he still was perverted. Amu sighed.

"That makes sense. And…" she began, not sure if what she was going to ask was appropriate. She wanted to know, so she decided to ask anyway. "W-why do you love me so much, Ikuto. We've only really known each other a month…" Ikuto looked at her with happy eyes, as if he was glad she had asked the questions.

"Well, Amu, I've never met someone like you. You showed me who you are from the minute we met, and I fell in love with you immediately. My devotion to you has only grown over the last month. When school starts again, we'll be busier, but still, the devotion will grow even more." He answered, holding her hands in his. She smiled at him and kissed his cheek, then went back to eating.

"I'm so stuffed… I don't think I can eat anymore. You sure you want ice-cream?" Ikuto asked as he rubbed his stomach. Amu looked at him with fire in her eyes.

"I was promised ice-cream!" She yelled, glaring at him now. Ikuto sighed.

"Fine, fine, okay. Ice-cream it is. I'll get chocolate, of course." He gave in, and stepped close to Amu has he paid the bill and walked out of the restaurant. While they were walking, Amu's legs started feeling wobbly. She pushed herself closer to Ikuto, but he didn't realize it was because she couldn't hold her balance. He kissed her hair, and for a few minutes, Amu could walk again. Then it came back, and a jolt of pain sprang up from her legs. She yelled as she fell to the ground, bashing her elbow on the concrete.

"Amu?" Ikuto said concernedly, helping her up. She was holding back tears, the pain was so intense. After about a half-hour, she was fine again, and insisted they continue on their journey for ice-cream.

"We're going. It's decided." She assured him stubbornly. Ikuto was not sure about it though, so he decided to take extra cautious actions; he kept Amu as close to him as physically possible, and held her up with his arm around her shoulder. He definitely enjoyed it, and Amu thought he was just being protective.

"Amu-Chan!" a voice called. It was the same voice that had called to her yesterday; it was Tadase. Amu whirled around to see Tadase running up to her. "H-hey!" He panted. He had run quite a bit to catch up to them.

"Tadase, what are you doing here?" Amu asked excitedly. She hadn't expected to see him so soon.

"Just walking around and I saw you again. Glad to see you're still wearing the bracelet." Tadase noted, looking down at his gift to her. Immediately, Ikuto followed his gaze.

"Amu, what is he talking about?"

"Oh, you didn't hear? I gave your girlfriend a very expensive bracelet, which she happily accepted." Tadase said tauntingly. Ikuto merely turned to Amu, tuning out Tadase.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, now saddened.

"I-I didn't think it was a big deal. I didn't know you would care." She replied, feeling as though she might have done something wrong. She couldn't see what, though.

"Yeah, so back off. If other guys want to give gifts to your girlfriend, so be it. _You_ never give her gifts." He laughed. Now Ikuto was getting very upset.

_This is perfect! Soon, I'll have Amu all to myself, and we'll be together again! _Tadase decided internally. He had no idea, though, what was going to happen when he tried to get Amu back.

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><p><em>Okay, so, now that you've read, in your review (which I hope you'll do!) tell me what you think is going to happen next. What do YOU think the next chapter will be about, and how important it is to the story. Let's see who gets the closest!<em>

_Oh, and a special shout-out to Amuto-Robstar who had the best review! It made me LOL! Like, for real! Here's her comment:_

**"I'm here to rape you..." LOL! For a minute I actually thought he would! I really like this story! The Tadamuto war! Update soon!**


	6. Chapter 6 Ikuto VS Tadase

_Ahhhhh, Chapter 6 is finally up. I can now breath a sigh of relief, knowing that this isn't going to gnaw at me anymore! Okay, let's see, for this one chapter, i'm going to do a quick summary, just to let you know what you're in for._

_Immediately the Tadase/Ikuto fight is resumed. What's going to happen? Well, if you read the -newly revised- book summary, you know. (Oh right, I took out that it's the sequal to Three Hearts, One Broken. That was for readers of that book, and I think by chapter 6 they've all decided to read this one or not.)_

_Next we switch over to see what's going on with Ronnie. We haven't heard much from her, have we? My own character that I put in; I love you Ronnie!_

_Ronnie: DeaNihptus does not own Shugo Chara. CAUTION!: The following story may involve some foreshadowing. :D_

_Me: I didn't want to give them THAT big of a summary!_

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><p>"Hotori, shut. Up." Ikuto responded, clenching his fists. Amu noticed this and bit her lip; what could she do? She was a fifteen year old girl who was by no means capable of stopping two boys from fighting. Would they really fight, though, or were they just getting angry?<p>

"Why don't you make me? Hey, Amu, you look hot." Tadase said as he winked at her. Then, just to make Ikuto even angrier, and went and kissed Amu right on the lips. Amu blinked a few times then frowned at Tadase. Why had he done that?

_He doesn't have feelings for me, does he… no, he's just trying to provoke Ikuto. What a jerk!_

"Stop!" Amu shouted. Both the boys looked at her for a minute, and then returned to each other. Amu, knowing that she couldn't do anything about the boys, sighed.

"Look, you're just a little kid, so I'm not going to hurt you. Now leave, before I change my mind." He warned. Tadase smirked at him.

"Why would I be afraid of you? Amu's softened you. You don't even know how to fight anymore. Why do you think her leg is all broken up? It's because you are a terrible boyfriend who can't take care of anybody." Tadase said, knowing he had hit the nail on the head. Ikuto had winced, after all, when he had said this. Ikuto must have been thinking the exact same thing.

"Hey, baka, you weren't even there. She called _me_. When she was afraid, when she needed help, she called me. She doesn't want anything to do with you romance-wise; she wants to be friends with you. Get over it, you little brat." Ikuto retorted angrily. He hated himself for allowing Amu to get hurt, and now some stupid kid was throwing it in his face.

"Amu still loves me, you know. You are just her boyfriend for now, I'll _always_ be in her heart." He laughed, enjoying Ikuto's reaction.

"Ikuto, you know that's not true. I'll never stop loving you, ever. Let's go!" She urged, tugging on her boyfriends shirt. He politely pushed her away.

"No Amu, I'm going to handle this." He assured her, cracking his knuckles. "Hotori has a lot to learn."

"No, no I don't. See, I'm more experienced than you. I banged Amu _and_ your sister! Both of them! Utau was fantastic when I knocked her up in your bed, but Amu had something special about her when we banged in her room. It was wonderful." He taunted. Now Ikuto had had it.

"Tadase, that never happene-"

"You take that back!" He hissed.

"I'll take it back when your whore of a mom gets her virginity back. She'll have to ask all 400 guys though, and every guy she did when she worked as a hooker. Or, is she still working as one right now?"

"TADASE!" Amu screamed. "STOP THIS!"

"Amu, stay out of it. Ikuto and I are just discussing why his sister and mother are alike. You know, Utau is banging Kukai too? Oh yeah, and every boy she's ever gone on a date with, and every boy she's met at school. She still calls me up for "sessions", and I got to reject. She even bangs girls."

"YOU FREAKING MORON!" Ikuto shouted, his patience broken. That's when it happened.

Amu jumped in front of Ikuto to slap Tadase across the face. She had heard enough insults about herself, her friends, and her boyfriend. But just as she jumped in, Ikuto was already about to punch Tadase. Amu turned around to see Ikuto's fist coming towards her. She screeched as he hit her with more force than he had ever used before. He used all his muscle, all his power, all his anger, and put it into one mega punch aimed right at Tadase's face. But he hadn't seen Amu jump in, so when he finally noticed her, it was too late to stop. He tried to, of course, but still ended up hitting Amu just as hard. She fell to the ground, crying, clutching her palm to the right-side of her face.

Utau and Rima knocked on door 412 of the Kimi Makoto Inn. After a few seconds, the door opened to reveal a very depressed Ronnie. Her eyes widened at the sight of the two girls, and then she squealed with joy.

"Utau? Rima? How did you find me?" She said excitedly.

"It wasn't easy, you crazy basta-"

"What Utau _means_," Rima interrupted. "Is that it took a lot of effort to find you. First we went to Tadase's house, and then we had to wait for your parents to get home. They sent us to one of your friends, who sent us back to them with the message 'check your credit card charges'. So your parents went online and found out what hotel you were staying at. We did a Map Quest on it and got directions, and then had to ask the stupid lady at the front desk what room you were in. It was a LOT of trouble." She explained, still holding her hand over Utau's mouth as she spoke.

"Oh, well come on in! We have a lot to talk about!" She said as she opened the door wider. The girls stepped into the small hotel room and looked around. They were immediately in the living room/dining room, and a small kitchen was hidden away in a corner to their left. On the right wall were 2 doors; one for the bedroom and one for the balcony. Inside the bedroom were a queen bed and a single, which definitely intrigued Utau and Rima.

Ronnie led her friends into the living room and sat down on the couch. She smiled at them as they sat, adjusted themselves, and smiled back at her, not knowing what else to do.

"Alright, go ahead, ask any questions you've got, and I'll try my best to answer them." She said politely as she offered tea and cookies. Both of the girls eagerly took some.

"Okay, me first. Why aren't you living at the Hotori house anymore?" Rima asked as she swallowed a cookie whole.

"Tadase and I had a fight. A big one. We broke up, so I left." She admitted sadly.

"That's stupid." Utau interjected. "That's your home, technically. You think your parents are going to let you stay here for the remainder of your stay in Japan? There isn't even a piano here."

"Well, that's true but-"

"You don't have to date Tadase anymore, but you can't live in this hotel. You'll have to leave eventually." Ronnie looked down at her lap and started to cry.

"I-I… I just h-hate him so m-m-much!" She sobbed into her hands. Rima put her arm around her.

"What did he do?" Utau asked, now concerned. It was always her style to get angry and forceful with someone when they were making a mistake, but she always went back to normal.

"Well… he didn't throw me a p-party, but that w-wasn't the hu-uge part. I left be-because he said, 'Amu wouldn't be freaking out like this'. And r-right then, I realized that h-he had been thinking about her all day, c-comparing her to me." Utau and Rima exchanged worried glances.

"Is that why you haven't been talking to Amu?" Rima asked.

"Well, not exactly." Ronnie replied, no longer crying. "At first it was. I was mad at her, and for a while, convinced that it was her fault. But then I calmed down and finally understood that she hadn't done anything wrong. But I haven't really contacted anyone, so after I forgave her, I still didn't talk to her. Oh, enough about me. Rima how is Nagihiko?"

"We broke up." She answered immediately. Utau and Ronnie both gasped.

"What?" They shouted in unison.

"I want to have a future with him. I want to be able to drive to his house, to have a job so we can pay to go out to eat… I want what Amu has with Ikuto. He can meet her halfway, since she isn't 16 yet. He can drive her places, buy her expensive gifts… he can do so much more than Nagi and I can do. So I told him that I want a year or two break between us, and he understood. He said he was thinking the same thing, but wasn't sure what to do." Rima explained sadly.

"So you don't like him anymore?" Utau asked quickly.

"On the contrary; I love him even more now that we're temporarily done. It gives me a chance to get my affairs in order, and decide what kind of guy I want to marry. Hopefully, Nagi is that kind of guy." She admitted with a meek smile forming on her face. She truly loved Nagi, and one day, would get to have a life with him (**POSSIBLE FORESHADOWING? IS DEA-NIHPTUS GOING TO DO A RIMA/NAGI STORY?**).

"I see. And Utau, how are you and Kukai?" Ronnie asked tentatively, afraid Utau might have a sad story to tell as well.

"Good. We date, we kiss, and we like each other. We aren't going steady yet, but I think we might soon. H-He… helped Ikuto save Amu and me." She told them happily.

"Amu…?" Ronnie whispered to herself. "Oh my gosh, Amu!"

"What?" Rima inquired, blissfully unaware of why Ronnie was so upset.

"Tadase is going to try to get her back! I can't remember what I heard, but somebody told me that Tadase has been going after Amu! Oh my gosh, what is Ikuto going to do?"

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><p><em>Haha, got another epic review! Had to post it! Thanks, xXChirushiXx, for the very amusing review!:<em>

**"I gave ur girlfriend a very expensive bracelet, which she happily accepted" i want to see ikuto almost bash him up. lol i love ur story!hurry up and update ^_^ ur an awesome auther ^-^**

-BTW, I didn't put hers up because she praises me as an author, I only put it up because it was funny. I don't prefer comments that praise me, that's pretty shallow-


	7. Chapter 7 The Hosptial

_Wow, it's finally here, THIS chapter! Gah i'm excited! But I have a few things to say first._

_1. I did a LOT of research for this chapter, so many of the things you read are in fact true. I looked into lots of medical stuff, which you'll probably recognize when reading._

_2. I have no idea when the next chapter is coming out, but it's not much of a cliffie, so hopefully i'm not messing with anyone's day xD_

_3. I am PROBABLY NOT going to do a Rima/Nagi fanfic. I kinda just said that because it felt like the right thing to say to amuse you guys. Glad it did!_

_4. Lot's of great, hilarious reviews! Thanks you guys, I LOVE LOVE LOVE reviews!_

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><p>Ikuto didn't make a move; he didn't breathe, he didn't blink, and the only thing he could feel was the blood on his knuckles and the twisting in his gut. Tadase gasped, sucking in mounds of oxygen, and threw himself to the sidewalk to help Amu. Ikuto couldn't make a noise, he couldn't move, he couldn't do anything; all he could do was hear Amu's screams and cries, and watch blood slowly drip to the ground.<p>

"You idiot, call an ambulance!" Tadase snapped, ripping a piece of his sleeve off and wrapping it around her eye. Ikuto managed to pull out a cell phone and dial 119*, but he could barely speak when he heard "119, what's your emergency?"

"Send an ambulance, quick, we've got an injured girl." He whispered, staring at Amu. He wanted to run up to her and help, but he couldn't do anything, and he had caused this. But, the least he could do was accompany her to the hospital, right? Well, no, he couldn't.

"I'm sorry, but family only." The man said who brought Amu into the ambulance. Ikuto and Tadase were left all alone as Amu was driver off to the hospital.

"Seeya, freak." Tadase said as he took off running after the ambulance. He would be at the hospital with Amu no matter what it took. He would be there when she woke up. Ikuto wasn't sure what to do, though. He wanted to be at the hospital, too, but would Amu want him to be there? He decided to go, but not right away. He would sit down and breathe for a few minutes, then walk to the hospital. He didn't want Amu to be sad, but he wasn't really sure what had just happened, and what he had just done.

Tadase got to the hospital and began waiting immediately. It took two long hours before he was able to speak to one of her doctors.

"It's not too serious, but still, very bad. We are also having some people looking into the incident, to make sure it's not abuse from her boyfriend." The doctor told Tadase.

"Yes, I'm very sorry I can't tell you more, but it's so hard to talk right now, I'd rather not waste my breath. It's hard to think about." He said. He wasn't going to get Ikuto arrested, because it _was_ an accident, but he would be fine with giving him a scare.

"Of course, I understand. Anyway, that punch did quite the damage. It was delivered on the right side of her face, and the right side of her nose is badly bruised, much like the rest of her face. Her right eye is swelled, bruised, and blackish purplish. There are 2 broken bones in her eye; the frontal bone and the maxillary bone. She also has 3 cuts on the right side of her face, and though they aren't deep, they were the source of much of the bleeding you saw. She's not in critical shape, so you can go in her room now. I'm not sure when she'll wake up." He explained. Tadase nodded gratefully and went in to check on Amu.

She awoke shortly after, and immediately a nurse was called in to check on her. She asked some minor questions, but Amu wasn't really able to answer them.

"Miss Hinamori, please answer the question, how many fingers am I holding up?" The nurse asked, getting slightly frustrated. Amu cocked her head to the side and blinked.

"I'm sorry, are you talking to me?" She asked. The nurse jotted something down on her clipboard and began asking more questions.

"Miss Hinamori, what is your little sister's name?"

"L-little… sister?" She muttered, not remembering anything having to do with a little sister. The nurse called in the doctor that spoke to Tadase, who ushered him out of the room to do more tests on Amu. When he came out again, he looked at Tadase sadly.

"It's just as I feared. She has temporary amnesia, but more specifically, Post-Traumatic amnesia. You see, amnesia can be induced by a variety of things, including trauma. Post-Traumatic is usually caused by a head injury, like a fall or a knock on the head; in this case, it's the knock on the head. We've done everything we can do without talking to her parents, who are waiting in the other room. I just thought I'd explain it to you, since you seem like a close friend, so you can understand the problem and maybe help her remember." He said, and then left to go talk to her family.

Tadase walked in to see Amu, who was sitting up and looking around the room. She looked, for a minute, like a toddler.

"Amu?" Tadase asked gently, touching her shoulder. She looked to him and frowned.

"Are you speaking English to me?" She asked angrily. "Because everyone has been, all day! 'Hinamori', 'Amu', what does that even mean?" She growled. Tadase sighed happily; at least she could remember facts like English being a language. For some reason, she couldn't remember names or events though.

"No, Amu is your name." He told her. Amu cocked her head again. "You're Amu, I'm Tadase."

_She doesn't remember anything… she won't remember Ikuto… THIS IS MY CHANCE!_

"Amu?" He asked quietly. After a minute, Amu remembered that was her name and looked at him. "Does the name Ikuto ring a bell?" Amu thought very hard, and then tinged.

"H-he… he did something to me?" She guessed, remembering something. It was a short memory; the memory of her looking at Ikuto with fear as he punched her. She would have felt the pain that came with her injuries if she hadn't been on so much medication.

"Yes, he was the man who did this to you. You see, he was mad that we were dating, so he decided to hurt me, but I wouldn't was too strong. He turned to you and said 'Fine, I'll just take care of her, then' and hit you. I tried to protect you, do you remember that? But he was too quick."

Amu could almost remember something similar to that. In her memory, Tadase had complimented her, and said she looked hot. Then he had kissed her.

"So, are you my boyfriend?" She asked slowly, hoping she hadn't just said something very stupid. Tadase smiled widely.

"You remembered!" He said excitedly as he hugged her. After a few seconds of Tadase hugging her, Amu wrapped her arms around him slowly but surely, and then squeezed him tightly.

"Right… I have a memory of loving you, Ikuto." She said, happiness shining in her eyes.

"No, no, I'm Tadase, your boyfriend. Ikuto is the one who hurt you." He reminded her. Amu nodded and kissed his cheek.

"I love you, Tadase. Thanks for being here… I still have no idea what's going on." She admitted sadly, but she was eager to regain her memories. Tadase left and Amu spoke with her parents which allowed her to remember some things. Amu slept for the rest of the day, and woke the next morning at around noon.

"Miss Hinamori?" Almost immediately, Amu looked up. "Good, you are recognizing your last name. Rima Mashiro is here to see you." The nurse told her, sending in Rima. Rima quietly walked over to the hospital bed holding her damaged best friend.

"Amu, are you doing better? I tried to come yesterday, but you were sleeping all day." Rima said with a relieved tone, glad that her friend was awake and doing well. Amu looked at her, cocked her head, and bit her lip. Rima sighed.

"I am Rima Mashiro, your long time best friend. We do everything together. We hang out all the time." She said, only slightly upset by Amu not remembering her. She had been told of the temporary amnesia, but she was sure Amu would remember her best friend.

"Oh, I only have one best friend? I must not be popular." Amu concluded with a sad face. Rima giggled a little at her friend's ignorance.

"Not exactly. You're more than Amu Hinamori; you're also the 'cool and spicy' girl of our school. All the guys want you, all the girls want to be you, and yes, you have several very close friends. Myself, Ronnie Smith, and Utau Tsukiyomi among them." Amu smiled widely at this statement.

"Y-Yeah, I remember you now! Rima, wow, it's you! I can remember everything we've ever done together! This is great!" Amu and Rima laughed together at this, and had a lot of fun for the rest of her visit. About two hours later, another girl came in, Utau Tsukiyomi. Amu couldn't help but flinch at the name 'Tsukiyomi' when the nurse announced it, but she didn't know why. Utau ran to Amu, with tears in her eyes, and took her up in an enormous hug.

"Oh Amu you're alright! You're almost okay! You're… you're alive!" She said quickly as she squeezed Amu tighter.

"You're Utau… one of my best friends?" She checked. Utau nodded excitedly.

"Yes, I am! This is great, you remembered!" She exclaimed, but Amu sighed.

"No, Rima was in earlier, and she told me you were one of my best friends." Amu told her, which definitely saddened Utau a bit, but not enough to ruin the fun hour she had planned. They played games, painted, ate cafeteria food, and joked about things Amu could remember. In the end, Amu had regained a few memories that seemed to help her put the puzzle that was her life together. Everything was a lot clearer now, but something was still off.

"This was fun, but I've got to be going. I have a singing lesson in twenty minutes. See you later, Amu!" She said as she walked out the door. "Oh, right, Ikuto apologizes for not coming in to see you. Between the police, the detectives and the whole trauma that comes with this, he hasn't really been out of the house much."

"Why would he come visit me?" She asked, slightly afraid what would happen if he did visit.

"Well… why wouldn't he?"

"Because he's the one who did this to me. He wanted to break Tadase and me up. He willingly attacked a defenseless girl! Why would he come visit _me_?" She asked, getting angrier with every word.

"Amu? Ugh, I don't have time for this! I have a lesson I'm going to be late for. We'll talk later!" She said as she ran out of the hospital. Utau was so confused; what the heck did Amu mean?

* In Japan, the emergency number for policemen is 110, and for firemen and medical emergencies, it's 119.

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><p><em>Okay, I have 2 reviews i'd like to acknowledge. The first one i'm only talking about because it was an anonymous review so I could not respond to herhim directly._

**You made Tadagay a little to out of character :/ just saying on a side note. Tadagay that bastard Ikuto's mother is a nice lady! She makes good cookies! I want Tadagay to die as of now! :O**

_Thanks for the review! And yes, I did make Tadase a LOT out of character, which I noticed when I was writing. But, this is his character for my particular fanfiction, and don't worry, he's just upset because Ronnie left him, he doesn't mean anything he said._

_And now for the review that made me crack up the most by SuperBlazeKing xD_

**aweesomee! tadase should be stabbed in the heart with a knife by ikuto and sent to hell**

_Thanks for all the great reviews! There are a ton of other funny ones, so feel free to look at them, I just couldn't resist this one! xD xD xD_**  
><strong>


	8. Chapter 8 Ikuto's Plan

_WOWoWOWOWOWOWOW it's here! I actually wrote this chapter in one sitting xD Sorry it came out so soon. I don't like to update too quickly, but I just couldn't resist! Please review :D_

_Oh, and it's official, I am writing **2 **new fanfics (at least 1 will be Shugo Chara), and they'll be coming out... EVENTUALLY! Please go to my profile and vote on some stuff because I still need help deciding a few things, and I trust you guys more than I trust myself! :D_

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><p>"Miss Hinamori?" A Male Nurse asked in a pleasant, honest voice. Amu looked up immediately and smiled at him.<p>

"Yes, Dave?" She answered, beyond happy that she was able to recall his name so quickly.

"Excellent!" He exclaimed, scribbling something in a notebook. "Miss Hinamori, you recognized your name, remembered mine, and used the English pronunciation perfectly. Your memory will be back in a matter of days! Don't be surprised if you wake up one morning and you remember everything!" he told her happily. Amu nodded and thanked him as he brought her out of her room and down to the parking-garage where her parents were waiting.

"Arigatou, Dave-Kun." She said thankfully, and gave him a big hug. Dave had helped Amu immensely when it came to memories. Amu slipped into her parents car, and with quick in-car hugs, they were on their way back to her house.

_That jerk, Ikuto, didn't come to visit me. Thank goodness, I would have been terrified. _Amu thought to herself, considering that evil blue-haired bully coming and hurting her more. Utau seemed to be confused by the hatred Amu felt towards him, but Utau was his sister, so it was to be expected. After Utau's strange reaction, Amu didn't mention Ikuto again. Amu had been in the hospital for six days, and she never went a day without a visitor. Rima came once a day, Utau came once every other day and Tadase came twice a day. Her parents had come for long lengths of time every day, but Amu didn't consider them 'visitors'.

Tadase had brought her dozens of gifts; chocolates, flowers, cards, balloons, and anything that could have made Amu smile. She loved it when Tadase visited, and he loved seeing her face light up when he came in. She called him an hour after he left each time he came and they talked for about thirty-minutes per call.

"Amu, wake up, we're home." Her mother said, gently shaking her sleeping daughter. Amu came back to reality and walked sleepily up to her room. She collapsed on her bed and, before she went back to sleep, checked her cell-phone. She hadn't checked it in three days, so she probably had a few messages.

"S-seven voicemails?" She screeched. No one who had visited her had mentioned her not answering them. In fact, no one had even said anything about her phone the whole time she was in the hospital.

"Amu? Hey, it's Ikuto. I'm sorry I couldn't come today either, but the police are just having a cow… yeah, so maybe I'll come see you tomorrow."

"Hey, I'm sorry, I can't come today after all. I really miss you, Amu; I hope you're doing okay. Rima and Utau have been filling me in on your memory, and I'm glad it's coming back… I'll see you soon, hopefully."

"Hey, Amu, I might be able to come today actually! I know I said I couldn't in the last message, but things change! I really hope I can come! Why aren't you picking up your phone? Maybe I should text you… I miss you so much; I think I might die if I don't get to see you soon. Tell you what; as soon as you get out, we'll get ice-cream. Love you, Amu… hopefully I'll see you today or tomorrow."

Amu gasped. She couldn't believe that Ikuto, the brute who had abused her so, would say those things. She couldn't help but consider that maybe she had the wrong impression of him.

"No- Tadase, my boyfriend, told me. I trust him more than this stupid jerk." She reassured herself. Putting all thoughts of Ikuto out of her mind, she laid down on her bed and fell into a deep, uninterrupted sleep.

Amu slept for the rest of the day, through the night, and until 10 in the morning the next day. She awoke feeling refreshed, and found herself with many memories again. Now it seemed the only thing blurry was the day she was attacked, which was the most important memory, to her, the police, and Ikuto. Amu found she had two more voicemails from Ikuto, which she refused to listen to. She deleted them angrily and went to get dressed. Sporting a white sundress with dozens of tiny strawberries, she grabbed her favorite sun hat and went off on a walk.

Her parents were a bit unsure of her leaving when she was so vulnerable, but Amu assured them she was only going to the park and wouldn't be gone more than an hour. She watched young children enjoy their last month of summer as they played in the heat and enjoy themselves. A few brave boys or friendly girls walked up to her to talk for a bit. One boy asked her how she got 'all cut up on her face' and she told him that a very nasty accident happened, and then half-jokingly told him to be a good, mature boy when he grew up.

Twin sisters, about the age of ten, asked if it was alright if they sat with her for a bit. With similar looking girls on either side, Amu answered the girls every question they bombarded her with. Few of the questions pertained to Amu's face, a big surprise to the pinkette, and mostly had to do with how she was so pretty, why she looked so nice, and other questions that sweet, honest little children might ask. When Amu had decided to go home, fourteen enthralled little children immediately became upset. They begged her not to go, and ever tried to bribe her with pennies and ice cream. She told them it was sweet, but that she needed to go home, and they reluctantly said goodbye.

"Cute kids." Amu noted as she walked home. The walk from the park to her house was only about ten minutes, and she enjoyed the fresh air and solitude. As Amu approached her house, she looked up and saw a boy with blue hair and eyes walking towards her home. She looked away and hoped he didn't see her, but he did, and came running.

"A-Amu, you're here! I was just on my way to your house to check on you… Rima told me that you got out yesterday, and that you slept most of the time. I guess I was just being paranoid; every time I called you had a valid reason why you didn't get to your phone. I'm sorry." He apologized, feeling like a doubting boyfriend. Amu looked at him with fear in her eyes and took a step back.

"Get away from me…" she whispered, her gut twisting and wrenching about. Ikuto stared at her in shock.

"What? Amu, what are you talking about?" He demanded in a calm voice. Amu took two small steps away from him, and then took one step forward. She summed up all over her courage, took a deep breath, and spoke.

"Get out of my way; I am g-going home. I will call the p-police if you don't move, right now!" She said, yelling the last part. His face did not change; it was still filled with shock and surprise.

"What is going on, Amu? Why are you so afraid?" He asked timidly, afraid of the answer. He already knew it, he just wanted to hear it.

"I hate you! That's why I'm afraid!" She screamed at him. He grimaced with pain from hearing her say that. "I hate you, Tsukiyomi Ikuto! Get away from me, NOW!" She hissed, tears streaming down her face. She took off running with Ikuto on her heels. He grabbed her and took her into the embrace he had longed to give her since the accident.

"Why are you like this, Amu?" he whispered, looking into her eyes. She stared at him, half filled with rage, half filled with fear. He caught a tear that was falling from her right eye, and touched her scarred face in the process. She closed her eyes tightly, preparing for his next punch. She waited, yet nothing. He understood, finally.

"Amu… please…" He murmured, stroking her hair. She would have loved it if he had done it before the accident, but now she wasn't sure what was going on.

_Abuse and then rape? Someone… help me…_

"I love you…" He said softly, but she still shied from him and prayed that he didn't touch her again. Ikuto released her, knowing what he had done to her. "I'll fix this, I promise." He said as he released his love. He walked away with his hands in his pockets. As soon as Amu was free, she took off for her home, thinking that if she was around him another second, he would kidnap and rape her for sure. She did think his calm demeanor odd, and she was so confused by his words, but she did not look back, because everything she knew about him said otherwise.

When she was almost out of sight, Ikuto looked at her and began to cry a little. He did not know the severity of what Tadase had done, or that Tadase was involved at all, but he knew he had done wrong and now had lost Amu because of it. His only excuse for his action of letting her run home was not a very good one, but it was the one he would use to get Amu back.

"If you love something, set it free; if it comes back it's yours, if it doesn't, it never was." He said to himself as he began planning on how to help Amu regain the memories of that day.


	9. Chapter 9 The Horse Ranch

_-Wipes sweat off of forehead- WOW this was a tough one. It took me a few days to eventually put together!_

_I suppose I should explain my absence though. You see, from Thursday to Monday I had sleepovers (most of them completely unplanned) and Tuesday I had a ballet rehearsal while Wednesday I had the last class BEFORE the ballet recital. So, yeah, i've been a bit busy, and I just couldn't find time to sit down and write._

_Ikuto: I hate you, DeaNihptus (who doesn't own Shugo Chara) for making Amu hate me. When is she going to remember me?_

_Me: NEVER! :D_

_Ikuto: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_

_Me: Lol, so many twists and turns follow soon. But before I can start chapter 9, i've got a few things to say._

_First, someone who's username I forgot (SO SORRY!) pointed out that in the last chapter I said she had all of her memories back. So wouldn't it make sense that she would remember Ikuto and dating him? Well, sorry, I left out a line when I typed it up. The chapter says it **seemed** like she had all her memories back. I accidentally left out the line that says "but she actually had no memory of Ikuto". So sorry, thanks for pointing that out!_

_And second/last, I've been meaning to write all my favorite chapter reviews, but I haven't been able to get around to it. I promise to do it in the next chapter, so please review! Okay, finally, here's the chapter!_

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><p>"Amu, where are you going?" Mrs. Hinamori shouted, stopping her daughter as she was almost out the door.<p>

"I-ice-cream?" She responded, not sure if that was the right answer or not. Mrs. Hinamori frowned.

"With_ who_?" Amu's mother pressed. She loved Ikuto and thought of him as a son, but she didn't want Amu around him for a while.

"Tadase, of course. And afterwards, we're going to a horse ranch!" She said, her eyes sparkling with eagerness.

"Dear, you've barely gotten your memory back. It's only been two weeks! Going to a horse ranch is a bit dangerous, isn't it? Do you want to lose more of your memory again?" She scolded, hoping to get Amu to understand the severity of her situation.

"I'm not even riding, mom. I'm just gonna look at some horses, brush a few ponies, you know, the basics. Tadase won't let me ride, anyway. He's like you." She teased with her mother. Mrs. Hinamori finally gave in and let Amu leave for ice-cream and a horse ranch. Tadase, who had actually turned sixteen a few days before, drove by in a new red corvette.

"You like? It was imported from Italy, and this model won't even be released until 2013!" He told Amu happily. Amu jumped in and kissed him gently.

"It's fantastic! So beautiful!" Just then, a bright light flashed in Amu's mind. She remembered a faceless person saying something to her about a car once before.

"'I don't need a car, I've got you, and I love you too much to get a car.' Someone told me that a while ago, Tadase, but I can't remember who. I remember it not making any sense, and I just smiled and kissed whoever said it. Was that you?" She asked uncertainly. Tadase's eyes widened as he realized what she had just asked.

He couldn't tell her it was, because that would be a lie. He didn't _want_ their whole relationship to be based on a lie, and if she ever did return to Ikuto, he wanted to at least be friends with her. But, if he told her it wasn't him, she'd probably look into it, because of the stubborn brat that she was sometimes. He didn't really have a choice.

"N-no, Amu, that wasn't me… I can't imagine who it could have been." He muttered, hoping she wouldn't hear him and would just drop it. Unfortunately for him, she heard him loud and clear.

"Freaky. I'm going to ask around about this. Anyway, let's get going, okay?" Amu suggested. Tadase nodded, glad to leave the question for another day. The ice-cream parlor was filled with overly excited kids, angry parents, and exhausted employees. Rather than stay inside with the screaming and yelling, the couple took their ice-cream outside for peace and quiet. A few other teens were outside, flirting and eating, but within in a few minutes, they were all gone. Amu started licking her ice-cream when another memory returned to her. In this one, someone was stating their preference for chocolate ice-cream, followed once again by a kiss. But it couldn't have been Tadase; he preferred vanilla. After ice-cream and a few 'whoa man, sweet ride!'s, Tadase and Amu left for the horse ranch.

_Hm, my legs… _Amu thought to herself. Her legs had been almost completely healed, and since she was on so much morphine at the hospital, she hadn't even known they were hurt. _I wonder what happened to them… crap, this is frustrating!_

Silence surrounded the house. Ikuto paused for a moment and strained his ears. Light footsteps were headed towards the door. He listened carefully and heard a click and then a pull.

"Utau, stop!" Ikuto shouted. Utau was about to run out the door, but Ikuto wasn't going to let her.

"Please, Ikuto, I'm going to be late for singing lessons!" She pleaded, unlocking the door. Ikuto put his hand against the door and frowned at her.

"Do you have any idea what Amu thinks of me?" He asked quietly, his chest burning with pain. He closed his eyes tightly as the pain slowly went away. Utau sighed.

"I… I don't have time for this, you know that…" Utau whispered. She watched her brother in agony as she tried to decide what to do. Finally she decided that he was more important than one singing lesson, and she had kind of partially caused this going to a lesson earlier. "Fine, what do you want _me_ to do, though?" Ikuto smiled, victorious.

"I need you to talk to her. She's got this crazy idea that I abused her out of anger! And to top it off, she doesn't even remember our dating!" Utau now wished she had gone to her lesson. She didn't want to tell Ikuto what she knew she had to.

"Ikuto… I've tried. Okay? I've been busy with lessons so I haven't been to her house, but I've texted her and called her. Whenever I mention you though, she turns off her phone for like two days! There's nothing _I_ can do. We could try to jog Amu's memory, I suppose."

"Well I thought that was obvious. But how? What memory is strong enough to make her remember me and everything about us being together?" Ikuto asked, half to himself half to Utau.

"How about when we were attacked by that robber?" Utau tried, but Ikuto didn't think it was strong enough.

"I've got it!" Ikuto sang.

Tadase and Amu enjoyed brushing a young mare, Annie. She trotted around them, playfully kicking her legs every now and then and whinnying to show her appreciation of the attention she was getting.

"I'll be right back; I'm going to get an apple for her." Tadase said. When Amu was alone with Annie, Annie decided it would be funny to push the human to the ground. Amu fell down and another memory attacked her. She was on her bed, someone on top of her, and they were kissing. Then her little sister Ami ran in and shouted that they were playing crazy eights. Amu had no idea who the boy was in this memory either. She only knew that it wasn't Tadase. When Tadase returned, he noticed Amu was looking down. He wasn't sure what to do though, because he knew he was already on thin-ice.

"Tadase, did I date anyone before you?" She asked hesitantly. Tadase sighed; the jig was nearly up.

"Yes, sweetheart, I'm afraid you did. But let's not talk about him, alright? Let's get back to the horses." Tadase suggested. Amu nodded sadly but went back to brushing Annie. When Annie was brushed, saddled and had her bride on, someone from the ranch escorted them to the training arena, a large rectangle shaped area that was covered by a large roof to keep out the sun. Amu watched sadly as Tadase rode on Annie, walking, trotting, cantering, and even galloping. It looked like great fun, but Amu knew she wasn't going to get to ride. Behind her a few volunteer workers were talking to each other.

"Jane's been having me lock up the barn at night. The horses like the breeze, but she's terrified of thieves running around. And it's that time of year again, stupid bratty punks." The one girl said.

"Yeah? The last time I was here, about a month ago I believe, Jane told me to keep the cats out of the barn because they fight and throw each other around. It gets pretty bad, she said. I thought that was why she wanted us to lock up the barn; keep the cats out. Creepy." The second girl responded. Amu couldn't help but feel a strong sense of Déjà vu, but not because of the girls. She felt that their words were familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Excuse me, d-did you say something about a thief?" Amu asked the two girls. They nodded at her.

"Yes, we did. Horse thieves are huge in this part of Japan." The first girl answered.

"And then, you said 'they fight and throw each other around'?" Amu checked about the cats. The girls nodded again.

"Thanks, that helps." She said as she turned back to Tadase. And just like that, another memory came out. She was being thrown threw a glass vase while Utau was about to be attacked. And when that memory surfaced, another one came with it; the one where Ikuto and Kukai came in threw the window. Amu remembered how happy she was that he was there, and how safe she felt. She remembered Ikuto fighting as hard as he could to protect her. But even though she remembered these, she wasn't convinced of anything. She only decided that maybe he wasn't _as _dangerous as she thought, and maybe she should look into their past relationship.


	10. Chapter 10 Ikuto and Ronnie

_Hey guys! Thanks for all the great reviews! Okay, the next chapter is up. This one focuses on Amu/Rima and Ikuto/Ronnie. I hope you like it! I'm also gonna skip the whole "my favorite review was..." for this chapter because i'm watching a totally epic anime. xD_

_So remember to review and I'll do it NEXT chapter for sure. Hmmmm, who should do the disclaimer? Oh, I know, Amu, you go ahead!_

_Amu: Thanks! Who would have guessed being the main character of a story makes it so you don't get to do the disclaimer very often? Anyway, DeaNihptus does not own Shugo Chara, and she is aware that the characters are sort of out of character. It's a completely different story though ;D_

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><p>Amu sat in her room, tears streaming from her eyes. A dozen times her family had tried to come into her room, but she refused to unlock the door.<p>

"Amu…" her mother pleaded.

"A bakers dozen, now." Amu muttered to herself. "No, mom." She answered plainly. For the first time, her mother left without another word. She was learning to accept her daughter's mood swings.

It had been three weeks since the accident. Amu hadn't gotten another memory back since the horse ranch, and she was completely frustrated about it. She had asked Rima about Ikuto plenty of times, but Rima was busy with Nagihiko. They had broken up but wanted to maintain a close friendship, so they spent more time together than when they were dating. Rima apologized countless times, and she wanted to help fix up Amu and Ikuto's relationship, but she needed to worry about her own for the moment.

Utau hadn't been able to help Ikuto with anything except the memory plan, and she hadn't even helped him with it. She had only said what he already knew. She too was busy with her singing lessons, and would become even busier since someone became interested in having her signed to their record label. She trusted that Ikuto could handle it himself, so she devoted all of her time to music and all of her spare time to Kukai.

Ronnie had played at nearly one hundred piano events around Japan and had earned a great amount of money. She texted Amu back and forth, but hadn't actually seen her in person in a very long time. Besides, Ronnie didn't know Ikuto that well, and didn't think it right for her to get involved in something like that.

Amu was pretty depressed that all of her friends were so busy and she wasn't. She hung out with Tadase as often as she could, but she couldn't help but feel if she was with _him _she would be busier and happier. The only question was; who was _him?_

A figment of her imagination maybe? Him was her word for the guy in her memories that wasn't identified. The one that she seemed to love to death, the one that would do anything for her. She felt like maybe Ikuto Tsukiyomi, the brute that had attacked her, might be this boy, but Tadase wouldn't lie to her, would he?

And that was the reason for Amu's occasional depressed mood. A combination of confusion, trust verses distrust, loneliness, and pain kept her in a downward spiral. She sighed; keeping it going for a few seconds, until she felt like all of her mood had disappeared with her breath. She felt cleansed, relieved, and maybe even renewed. Today would be the day she would discover just who Him was.

She picked up her phone and dialed Utau. Utau picked up but told her she was completely busy and couldn't speak for more than 30 seconds. Amu decided that this would be a wasted 30 seconds, and the girls promised to speak later.

Now she called Rima. Once. Twice. Three times. Still Rima did not pick up. Fourth. Fifth. Sixth. Somehow, Rima hadn't even noticed Amu called. Seventh. Eighth. Ninth. Tenth time. Finally, she answered.

"Amu, I'm sorry, have you been calling me? Darn it! I can't believe I missed… oh my gosh, nine calls? I missed nine calls?"

"Rima, Rima! Stop! I know what you're doing. You're using up all the 'freak out' in this conversation so we can't talk about Ikuto." Amu scorned. Rima sighed and was silent for a few moments.

"Amu, now isn't really a good time…"

"It's _never_ a good time. Are we even friends? I know you want to be friends with Nagihiko, but try to stay friends with me too." More silence.

"You're right, Amu. Gomen'nasai. This is all my fault. I'll tell you what, how about I come over in about an hour? We can talk about Ikuto to your heart's content, and we can settle this. You really do have it all wrong, Amu." Rima assured her.

"That's what I want to figure out, Rima. I want to know everything that's happened."

"Alright, see you then." Rima replied.

"Yeah, okay." Amu said, still in a sour mood. She would come out of it for Rima though. She would do anything for Rima. Amu danced around her room as she waited for an hour to pass. She wanted to know everything about Ikuto. She was more than curious; she was anxious, or maybe even desperate. She needed to know what exactly happened throughout her life that involved that blue-haired boy.

While she was swinging around her room, she noticed someone out of the corner of her eye. She hid behind a chair, but then looked to see who was there. Ikuto was looking longingly at her balcony. Then he lifted his feet and continued walking, staring at the ground, his hands in his pockets. He looked so sad… so depressed. Amu felt bad for him, but only a little.

"I need to know the truth…" Amu whispered to herself. For some reason, the hatred of Ikuto just came to her immediately. It felt as if she had hated him before, and she had hated him before, but that was only for a week and a half, and they made up and fell in love. She associated these feelings with the idea that he had purposefully abused her. After all, if she hated him in the past but couldn't remember anything about him, that would probably mean he was a jerk and a bully.

Amu broke from her thought-trans when her phone rang. She guessed it was Rima calling back about how she couldn't come after all, but it was actually Utau. She smiled to herself and let it ring. Utau had ignored her calls for so long it was time for her to get a taste of her own medicine.

Ronnie wiped a tear away from her cheek as she swung up and down on the swing-set at the park. Tadase was dating Amu; Tadase was in love with Amu. What did that even mean?

"It means he likes her more than me." She muttered angrily as the tears finally stopped flowing. She wasn't mad at Amu, because Amu was just a victim. Everything was wrong, everything was topsy-turvy and completely, utterly, wrong. Ronnie felt like she owed it to Amu to reunite her with Ikuto.

"But… I can't get involved. I don't even know Ikuto." Ronnie added. "But I do know Tadase and Amu, and they are two thirds of this crazy situation. Alright!" She stood up decidedly and threw her fist in the air. "I'm going to help Amu!"

"Yo." Ronnie turned around speedily to see Ikuto standing over her. He looked right into her eyes and then smiled, clearly amused.

"I'm sorry, the theater is closed." She growled, not knowing it was Ikuto.

"No-no, I want to see how it ends. Does the gorgeous American blond help the blue-haired cat to get his true love back?" He asked with a mocking tone in his voice. On the inside, though, he really wanted to know if he would get Amu back.

"Well, naturally. I mean, if it's true love… true love conquers all." Ronnie answered hesitantly. She then realized it was Ikuto and blushed a bit, feeling slightly embarrassed. Ikuto sighed.

"Another one, huh? 'True love conquers all', 'if you love something set it free…' you get the point. But those are just phrases, just sayings. Do they actually work?" He asked, half to Ronnie, half to himself. He wasn't as confident as he used to be.

"Of course they do! And you aren't fighting hard enough for Amu! It's disgraceful! I hate to say it but… go get your woman, Ikuto!" Ronnie encouraged. Ikuto merely rolled his eyes.

"And what would you have me do? She won't go anywhere near me! She freezes and practically stops breathing if I'm even fifty feet from her." Ikuto retorted, angrier than he meant. He was just frustrated, but Ronnie knew it, so she had plenty of patience.

"Amu's smart, and she really loved you. I think if me, Utau, Rima, and possibly you, have a sort of… intervention type thing, we can restore her memory completely and she'll remember you." Ronnie suggested, but Ikuto wouldn't have it.

"Thanks, but if I'm going to overcome this, it's going to be without help."

"That's your problem, Ikuto. You can't win this on your own. Tadase is already on the inside. He's already got Amu ready to believe anything he says. But Amu is smart and she'll eventually remember on her own; we just need to give her a push." Ronnie said, upset with Ikuto for being such a loner.

"And what exactly are you planning?" He finally said after a few minutes. Ronnie flashed him a devious smile.

"Just you wait. You have my word; Amu will remember."


	11. Chapter 11 Amu Finally Remembers

_Hey everyone, DeaNihptus here! I'm so sorry for my long absence (did anyone notice?) but i'm back now, for now. ;D_

_This chapter is pretty short, but it's FILLED with Drama. To those of you who thought you had this figured out, guess what, this isn't the first twist or turn! Trust me! Alright, here it is, chapter 11 of The Bonds of Trust, a fanfiction of Shugo Chara, which I do not own. (Hehe, I love sneaking in disclaimers!)_

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><p>Amu opened the door to her bedroom for the short blonde that was walking in. Rima had actually grown quite a bit since when she was twelve, when she was really short, but she would always be considered short to anyone who knew her before the growth spurt. She smiled at Amu and sat down in a comfy chair in the corner. Amu sat on her bed cross-legged and turned to Rima.<p>

"Alright, so, we want to talk about…"

"Ikuto." Amu answered before Rima had even finished.

"Yes, Ikuto." Rima took a deep breath. "So, what do you want to _know_ about Ikuto?"

"A-actually… can we not talk about Ikuto first? I have a question. Did I date anyone before Tadase?" Amu asked uncertainly. She had held in the question for a while, but now she wanted to know who she had dated before Tadase. She had loved this mystery boy with all her heart, and he had obviously loved her back.

"I thought you didn't want to talk about Ikuto first." Rima replied casually. Amu blinked a few times.

"What?"

"Yes, you dated someone before Tadase. You dated Ikuto. And before Ikuto you dated Tadase. But you guys broke up shortly after you met Ikuto." Rima explained to her very confused friend, who continued to blink.

"Wait wait wait… have I ever dated anyone else, ever?" She tried. There had to have been someone else, someone from her past, who was in those blurry memories.

"Um… no. You had a crush on a boy in third grade, but you were only a kid, so obviously it never turned into anything." Amu looked at Rima with upset eyes. None of it made any sense!

Amu's only conclusion was that Ikuto _was _the boy from the memories. He was the guy that she had loved with all of her heart, the one she had felt so strongly about. Another memory came to her, then another, then another.

Now she remembered the time when she dated him. Yes, she loved him, and he had loved her. The long white scars on her legs were finally understood; now she knew what had happened. Ikuto and Kukai had come to save her and Utau. How could that not be love?

She remembered the time when Tadase was on vacation and she was hanging out with Ikuto, and how she fell in love with him. Now Amu's head was dizzy as all of these memories came to her at once. The only thing she didn't remember was the day she had gotten hit. Tadase wasn't going to fill her in on the details, and no was else was a witness.

"Tadase…" Amu muttered, thinking aloud. "Wait, Tadase lied to me…" she realized.

"Amu?"

"Oh my gosh… TADASE! HE LIED TO ME! He told me… he told me so much! He lied to me so much! I can't believe that dirt bag turned me against Ikuto! I may not remember the day I was hit, so I don't know _why_ he hit me, but maybe it's his turn to tell me! And Tadase… I NEVER WANT TO SEE HIM AGAIN!" She roared, realizing what had happened finally. Now that she remembered everything, she took Rima and ran to the park. Before they left, Rima was ordered to invite Ikuto and Tadase to the park, but not let them know who'd be there. Tadase was expecting a rendezvous with Amu, and Ikuto was expecting to formulate a plan with Rima.

Amu beat the boys to the park and sat waiting. When they came into sight, Rima waved them over. They arrived at the same time, talking quietly under their breath to each other. Rima knew they were asking why they had both been invited there. Amu took a deep breath, swallowed her fear, and stood up.

"Well… the doctors said I'd get my memory back eventually, and that time has come." Amu announced weakly, unsure what exactly was going to happen. Tadase's eyes widened and Ikuto smiled. He now had the upper hand, in fact, he now had Amu back. "So I remember everything except the day I was attacked… and I remember all of my dates with Ikuto… and breaking up with Tadase… and everything. And now that I've had a bit of time to think over everything…" her voice was now a whisper. She was starting to cry.

Ikuto went to her and grabbed her hand in his, then squeezed it softly. Amu gulped, fear over-taking her body. As much as she hated Tadase for lying, she wished with all her heart he would come take her other hand. She found finally found the strength to continue.

"Amu…" Tadase said quietly, knowing what she would say. She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked at him defiantly.

"Tadase, you lied to me. You've lied to me since the very beginning; since I first woke up in the hospital. It doesn't take me to tell you that we are done, completely over, and there is nothing between us anymore. Good-bye, Tadase. You should have stayed with Ronnie." Amu said with true anger in her voice. Tadase was still for a few moments, and then he turned away and left. Amu gave herself a few seconds then she turned to Ikuto, but instead of looking into his eyes, she stared at their feet.

"And… this whole time… you stayed by me. Thank you, for not giving up on me, when I'm sure I've hurt you so." She tried her best to get the whole thing out at once, but she was crying strongly now and she wasn't comfortable being near him, let alone being touched on the hand by him.

"It wasn't an option to give up on you, Amu. I love you too much." He answered with relief spilling out of him. He took Amu into the biggest hug he could and welcomed her back. He finally had Amu back. Their story was wrapping up nicely.

"I… I can't do this anymore! Get away from me!" She hissed, struggling to get out of his hug. He released her confusedly.

"What are you talking about, Amu?" Ikuto asked. Amu did not look at him.

"I remember all the times we had… and I remember loving you… but there is no more love between us. I can't stand being around you; your very presence terrifies me! Get. Away. From. ME!" She took two large steps back. Rima and Ikuto exchanged glances of confusion. They had to act quickly.

"What? Amu, what are you talking about? Why does he terrify you?" Rima jumped in. Amu shook her head and covered her face with her arms.

"I'm too afraid to be near you… I _can't _be near you! Don't touch me, don't look at me, don't do anything with me!"

"Amu, why are you afraid of me?" Ikuto said desperately. He didn't have much time left before she left and refused to see him again.

"I remember a lot of love and happiness because of you, Tsukiyomi, but hate, fear, and pain are all associated with you in my memories! I've gotten hurt emotionally and now physically!" Ikuto and Rima didn't realize that Amu didn't remember the day he hit her, so Ikuto wasn't sure how to respond. He assumed she knew about that day.

"You know it was an accide-"

"Get away from me!" She screamed, tears drenching her shirt. "I-I'm sorry that I didn't remember sooner, and I'm sorry I'm angry at you, and I think I love you still a little bit, but I'm too afraid to be near you! I-I've… I've got to go." She muttered, took once last apologetic look at Rima, and ran home.

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><p><em>DRAMA! Yeah, I guess. Anyway, PLEASE review. I only got 3 for chapter 10 and it made DeaNihptus sad. :'( <em>

_Alright, btw, here's my favorite review, by TheRealAmuletDia (or something like that xD)_

**_go ronnie and ikuto make tadase wallow in self pity and burn in hell =D_**

_I found it amusing! Good job, for reviewing funnily! Thanks; NOW GO REVIEW! :D_****


	12. Chapter 12 An Unexpected Bond

_Hey guys! Okay, Deanihptus here, with a LOT to say!_

_I'm sooo sorry i've been gone so long. I will try harder to update faster!_

_This is another short chapter. So sorry. :(_

_Okay, here it is!_

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><p>Ikuto was still for a few moments, his face drained of color, a twisting feeling in his gut. When he was released from his Trans, he pressed his hand to his heart.<p>

"It didn't stop… I thought it did." He murmured poetically, though he didn't mean to. Rima did not believe what was going on. Amu had just dumped Tadase and basically told Ikuto that she hated him.

_No, not hate… she fears him. _Rima corrected internally. The sun emerged from behind a few clouds, its light shining onto Rima and Ikuto. They looked at each other, brilliant streams of golden light brightening each others faces, and they both thought for a minute that the other looked attractive in that light. They turned away from one another, blush covering their faces.

"I can't believe that happened." Rima finally said after she had gotten her face back to its normal shade. "Something's gotta be wrong with her. She knows that everything Tadase said was a lie… gosh this whole thing just wreaks of a bad plot!"

"Yeah, it's like we are in some crappy Japanese Drama… or a not-very-creative fan fiction. Well, I'm not going to stop trying. We've just got to try another plan!" Ikuto decided, feeling strong again. Now he at least had a fighting chance, he just needed to bide his time and make the right moves.

"School is starting again soon, Ikuto. Do you want her to remember before or after school resumes?" Rima asked, a new friendship blooming with Ikuto. She had never been able to relate to him so well, and he had always been 'the guy who makes Amu happy' in her mind. Now that they shared a common goal, she couldn't help but feel like maybe he was a better person than she knew. Ikuto tapped his foot in thought and pressed his finger to his temple.

"Well… if she remembers before Summer ends, we'll have to do it quickly, and I hate feeling rushed… but maybe if she gets a little time to stop being terrified of me, it'll be easier." He decided hesitantly. Rima found herself staring at him, admiring his features, his personality, his voice… then she shook her head to get those thoughts away.

"I really admire how you're taking this. A minute ago you were freaking out, and it looked like you were ready to give up on Amu, and possibly life! How do you go from being suicidal-depressed to confident and clever?"

"I'm not sure… I guess something I saw that made me smile." He said quietly. Rima blushed furiously; they had just stared at each other a few moments ago.

"Well, I should head home." She said decisively, almost as if she was convincing herself that this was what she needed to do.

"Alright, we'll talk later. I've got your number in my phone." Ikuto winked at her, and she smiled back, and then trotted off. She wasn't even going in the right direction.

"Amu? Hey, Amu!" Ronnie called, seeing her friend walking down the road. Amu did not hear her, as she was deep in thought, but Ronnie did not give up. She really wanted to see Amu. "AAAAAAAAAMMMMMUUUUUUU!" Now Amu heard the call and turned to Ronnie, a smile on her face. Ronnie ran over to her.

"Veronica, what's up?" She asked politely.

"Ronnie, Amu. Call me Ronnie." She laughed, not taking Amu seriously.

"Sorry about that, I'm going to try out for a new play once school starts tomorrow. I really want the lead, and she's a very endearing, friendly, polite aristocrat's daughter. It won't be easy, seeing as so many other talented girls." Amu explained, returning to her old speech patterns.

"Oh, I see. Wow, school starts tomorrow…. Quite an eventful summer in Japan, eh?" Ronnie teased, referring to everything that had happened since she had come to Japan in the beginning of summer vacation.

"Indeed." Replied Amu, becoming her character again. "Tell me, dearest Veronica, why haven't you returned to America yet? And are you still staying in H-Hotori-san's house?" Amu still had trouble talking about Tadase, even if it was just saying his last name. She also hadn't made any progress with Ikuto. Rima seemed to act weird whenever Ikuto's name was mentioned, and she turned bright red. Amu couldn't help but think something strange was going on between Rima and Ikuto. Maybe he was abusing her? Amu would look into it, to an extent. She wouldn't talk to Ikuto about it of course.

"Oh…" Ronnie's happy demeanor now changed to a depressed, slightly embarrassed. She looked at the ground and kept her face down. "Well, we aren't staying with the Hotori's anymore. Now we stay in the home of a wealthy family who likes to hear me play. I still do concerts and I have a few coming up if you're interested. I will be here… actually… for the next school year." She managed a weak smile.

"Ronnie, what's wrong?" Amu asked, very concerned.

"Well, it's just… the family is very nice, but there is a boy two years older than me, and he's always flirting with me, touching me-"

"WHAT?" Amu stormed.

"No, not like that. You know, brushing up against me, casually touching my shoulder when he laughs at a joke I made… little things. I'm afraid he may be interested in me, and since I am a guest in his home, I cannot tell him that I'm not interested. And I'm just a little home sick. It would be so much easier if Tadase and I were still…" She was silent for a moment, and Amu was sure she heard sobbing. "So, yeah. It's a shame we won't be in the same class, but I'll see if I can run into you tomorrow. Maybe at lunch?" Ronnie suggested. Amu agreed and they parted ways until the next day.

_I didn't forget._ Ronnie thought to herself. _I promised Ikuto that Amu WOULD remember the day she was attacked. I will keep my promise._

That morning Amu woke up very angrily. School was starting again. Now she would have to wake up at 7 in the morning, get dressed, eat, go to school for hours and hours, go home, do school work, and then do the same thing over and over again.

"And summer was so… strange." She muttered to herself. She had been in love with Tadase, who had gone to America. Then she had met Ikuto and fallen for him. She then met Ronnie who turned out to be very cool. Amu and Utau had even become good friends. Next her and Ikuto were together. She reminisced about being saved from that robbery at Utau's house, and then about being in the hospital (she didn't remember the day she had been hit), and then learning that Tadase had in fact been lying to her. Then they had broken up and she remembered Ikuto.

Ikuto… she still feared him. His very presence made her dodgy. She felt like she couldn't breathe and that a snake was wrapping itself around her neck. The only thing that ever got rid of the feeling was Ikuto leaving. Amu dressed herself in her uniform that she tweaked with her own personal style, did her hair, and left for school.

"Ikuto, what's the plan?" Rima asked quietly, seeing Amu come around for her second class of the day.

"Not now. Tomorrow." Ikuto told her, much to her dismay.

"I see… well, okay." She muttered, not happy that Amu would spend another minute hating Ikuto. How could she? Ikuto was gorgeous and smart and very sweet. She had only learned these things after they started hanging out, planning to get Amu back to him. She found herself smiling at him while he watched Amu. He turned to Rima and stared back at her. Blush over took both of their faces and they quickly looked away.

"Rima."

"H-Hai!" She stuttered at the abruptness of how he said her name.

"I wasn't talking about Amu a second ago." He said slowly, not sure how she'd react.

"oh?"

"No, I wasn't. Maybe we could go to a movie tomorrow. It might be fun. We've been so serious for so long about Amu. Why not have some fun?" He managed a small, reassuring smile.

"I'd like that." Rima responded excitedly. She tried desperately to hide this excitement and failed miserably.

"Can I walk you to class?" he asked.

"I'd like that too."

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><p><em>The best review was by Nanachi-chan desu. Wait, scratch that, not the best review, the one that made me LOL most! The one I just HAD to post. But it was really long and it's kind of late... so go check it out and REVIEW!<em>

_Wow, what's going on between Rima and Ikuto!_


	13. Chapter 13 Short But to the Point

_Hey there, Deanihptus here to give you chapter 13~  
><em>

_Wow lot's of stuff has happened. For starters, I got 13 reviews for chapter 12! I am so friggin' physicked right now!_ And so many of them were OVER NIGHT! You _guys responded very quickly and you definitely showed you weren't happy with Rimuto! Haha, you guys :D_

_Okay, this chapter is WAY shorter than I expected. But see, i'm working on some other stuff too, so this is mainly dialogue. :(_

_I guess you'll have to wait and see if Rima and Ikuto end up together. I mean, there ARE ways of knowing, but if you guys don't think about them you'll never know for sure. Hehe, I love you guys!_

_I actually have a NEW story ready. *gasp!* Yes, it is Amuto again, and I think it'll be fairly good. I'm not one of those crazy authors who thinks: "IF YOU'VE READ ONE OF MY BOOKS, YOU HAVE TO READ ALLLLL OF MY BOOKS!" so don't worry about it; if you're interested though, I think the first chapter will be out tomorrow, so if that's something you'd like to consider checking out, go for it. : )_

_Oh, and I know i've praised you repeatedly but I just have to say this:  
>I BEAT MY LAST BOOKS RECORD!<em>

_Yes, Three Hearts One Broken (this book you're reading right now is 3 Hearts' sequal) got 73 reviews over about 18 chapter; well in just 12 chapters you guys managed to beat it~! I'm so excited! Does this mean my writing has improved? Is this story a better plot than last time? IDK, but for some reason, people are reviewing it! Thanks you guys, it really shows how my writing has improved!  
><em>

_Alright, here's chapter 13. Short, I know._

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><p>*ring, ring, ring, ring*<p>

"Mushi-mushi?" Rima answered. She hadn't bothered to check the caller ID; she was too excited that it might be Ikuto calling.

"Rima? It's Amu." The voice answered. Rima felt let down, but only a little bit, talking to Amu was nice too.

"Hey! What's up?"

"Not much. Want to go to the mall with me tonight? There's a big sale." Amu asked pleasantly. She would enjoy spending some time with Rima.

"T-tonight? I have plans…" she thought about blowing off Ikuto to spend time with Amu, but something in her heart said _Not on your life!_

"Did you and Nagihiko get back together?" She asked anxiously. Rima gasped. She had completely forgotten about Nagi. Sure, they were taking a break, but she still wanted to be with him!

"No… no we didn't."

"Going somewhere with Ronnie?" Amu tried.

"No."

"Utau?"

"No, not her either…" Rima answered. She couldn't tell Amu about Ikuto. Amu and Ikuto were still technically a couple, right? Although she did say she hated him… did that make what they were doing okay?

"Oh my… no, not him… not him… please, not him…" Amu whispered. Rima was terrified, how could she have figured out so soon?

"W-who?" she stuttered.

"TADASE?"

"Whoa, whoa, no! Not… not ever!" Rima managed, relieved that Amu hadn't been thinking of the right guy.

"Good, I was getting really afraid right there. Anyways, if you have plans for the night with whoever, I guess I'll leave you be. Do you want to do something tomorrow?"

"Ikuto, I guess." Rima responded. "I-i-i- I mean, _if_ _you do_, not _ik-u-to_! I-if you do, l-lets do something tomorro-ow." Rima felt like Amu would have been more suspicious about this, but since Amu hated Ikuto, she would probably be safe. For the time being.

Rima began thinking when she would need to get prepared for the 'date'; she called it that because there honestly wasn't a better word to describe it. Was it really a date though? Rima wasn't exactly sure.

"Great it's a date!" Amu said enthusiastically; Rima about died at these words.

"A-Amu…" Rima began, unsure if this was something she should be saying.

"Yes?"

"Do you really… hate Ikuto? I mean, you have all those memories of when you guys were in love… can you really hate him?" Heart-wrenching silence overtook the conversation. Amu did not respond.

"We'll talk later. I have to do some dishes!" Amu replied, as enthusiastically as she had when she had last spoken. Rima knew she wouldn't want to answer the question, but she didn't know Amu would just ignore it, as if it had never been asked!

Rima didn't want to dwell on these negative thoughts though, because she had to get ready for her 'date' with Ikuto. What would they do? They were going to see a movie, that much she knew, but would they do anything after? Would they discuss Amu? What did he have planned?

Finally she was ready. She dressed herself in a knee-length jean skirt and sleeveless shirt, threw her hair into a sloppy ponytail, and ran to meet Ikuto at the movie theater.

"Rima, where are you going?" Her mother asked.

"Dad's." She lied. After that her mother didn't say another word. She spotted Ikuto in front of the theater, getting ready to buy tickets. Rima ran up to him silently and blew on his ear.

"WHOA!" He yelled, turning around. He was a little embarrassed to have been taken by surprise. "Brat." He teased. They decided on seeing a movie that they had both already seen just for the kicks. They ended up being the annoying teens that laugh at the awkward or dramatic parts, and shush everyone else that laughs at the funny parts.

"That was fun." Rima said sheepishly. Ikuto smiled wider than she had even seen him do.

"Yeah, it really was. We definitely have to do it again." He replied. They were now walking towards his car, hands just inches from each other.

"We should really… talk about Amu."

"Don't ruin the mood, Rima." Ikuto warned playfully. Rima managed a weak laugh.

"I just don't want you to give up on her. Maybe she doesn't have _every_ memory. If we got her some therapy, in time, she might-"

"Exactly. Time. Probably a LOT of time. It seems like she'd be perfectly fine if I never had anything to do with her again." Ikuto interrupted, his voice flat with sadness, or maybe anger.

"I promised you I'd get her to remember you Ikuto, I'm going to keep my promise." Rima yelled as she stood in front of Ikuto, stopping him from getting into his car. Her determination was clear to everyone around them.

"Actually, Rima, it was _Ronnie _who promised to help get Amu to remember. You never did." Ikuto laughed.

"Well... Ronnie told me about it, and I made a promise to her and you AND Amu to help. Though I didn't tell Amu... So it's decided."

"Fine." He said plainly. "I've got a plan."

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><p><em>Yes, that was chapter 13. Ever so short, I feel bad about that, but hey, you got to see Ikuto and Rima's first "date"! BE EXCITED! And review, review, review! I just LOVE reviews and they give me the boost I need to write a chapter in a day. And, to show how much I appreciate and care for my reviews and my reviewers, here is a hilarious review that pretty much sums up chapter 12 by xXChirushiXx!<em>

**AMU! If u don't get ur act together, your BFF... Whops your future rival, will take your man!**

_I got so many great reviews, but I just felt like posting this one. Thanks guys and press that review button..._  
><em>NOW! :D<em>**  
><strong>


	14. Chapter 14 The Party!

_Welcome, everybody, to chapter 14! Thank you all for your comments, kind words, constructive criticism, etc! I think this is considerably longer than chapter 13, which was painstakingly short. :\_

_I have an announcement too. In the previous chapter I said I would release a new book, well, it's out! I'm really excited for it because I think it'll me my best one yet! I have a lot more freedom with that story line and those characters and I think you guys will be able to tell how much fun I had writing it.  
><em>  
><em>A couple of you have already looked at it, actually, so thanks! I didn't expect that! It's called Stockholm Syndrome, but don't put it in the 'Search' Engine up top by Beta Readers, because you won't find it. Just go to my profile and look for it. :)<em>

_Okay, here's chapter 14!_

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><p>Amu turned to her calendar to check to see if it really was two days before her birthday.<p>

"Yep! It's September 22nd! I can't wait!" She said aloud, to no one but herself. She called up Rima, Utau, Ronnie, and several other friends to alert them of her oncoming celebration.

"So I want to throw a birthday party at my place. I mean, I'm turning 16, so it's gotta be BIG! I'm inviting at least 100 people. You have to bring a date!" She ordered to each of them separately over the phone.

"Alright, I'll bring Kukai." Utau told her, excited that her and Kukai would get to be together. She would take off her vocal lessons (and make sure he took off whatever he was doing) to come to the party.

"Hm, a date? I don't know many guys around here… but there is this nice boy in my class who's been flirting with me. He's very shy. Maybe I should bring him?" Ronnie told Amu in English.

"Ronnie, I have _absolutely no idea_ what you just said. All I heard was 'blah blah blah, rah rah, blah, rah, blah rah, gerk'!" Amu laughed. It was always so funny when Ronnie spoke English. She had the most ridiculous accent!

"My bad, Amu." She replied, and then repeated what she had said, this time in Japanese.

"That's a great idea! Yes, you have to come with a date, no matter whom! I can't wait to meet the guy flirting with you!" Amu squealed.

"A date… Amu I'm going to have to call you back in thirty seconds. Don't go anywhere!" Rima said and hung up the phone before Amu could respond. The pinkette sat on her bed, waiting for her phone to ring. What exactly was Rima doing? Did she have to call someone to check to see if he could be her date? Did she have to cancel something, or check her plans?

While she waited for Rima, she considered inviting Tadase. A wave of anger came over to her. She did not want Tadase to be there, but they use to be such good friends. Then Ikuto came to her mind. He was doing that a lot lately. Obviously he wouldn't be invited to the party, but Amu couldn't help but wonder if she would mind if he showed up.

_I'd be terrified and wouldn't be able to enjoy my own party._ Amu decided mentally. Rima ended up taking more than 30 seconds. Actually, she did not call Amu back for 30 minutes! When Rima finally did call back, Amu was downstairs watching TV with Ami. She didn't hear her own phone ringing, and it was Ami who ended up running upstairs to pick up.

"Hello?" She answered playfully. Rima was more than surprised to hear a squeaky little voice instead of Amu's, which was much deeper in comparison.

"Ami?" Rima guessed. Who else could it be?

"Yep!" She replied, recognizing Rima immediately.

"Wow, how old are you now Ami? I haven't seen you in a while!"

"I'm turning 10!" She announced excitedly.

"That's great! You're getting so big! Uh, is there a reason you picked up instead of Amu?" She asked, hoping she didn't sound too impolite. She certainly didn't mean it; she just wanted to know why Ami answered her sister's phone.

"Amu-chan is downstairs watching TV. Oh, wait, I hear her coming! Hehe, by Rima-chan!" Ami giggled, handing the cell phone to her older sister.

"Rima?" Amu checked breathlessly. "Oh, good, you're still here. Sorry about that, but in my defense, I waited a half hour for you to call!" She laughed. Rima wasn't really one who exaggerated much.

"Yeah, my bad. Okay, so I'm coming to your birthday party with a date…" she said hesitantly. Amu smiled widely on the other end of the phone.

"Who is it?"

"I can't tell you! Sorry. You'll have just to find out in two days!" Rima said, happy to get to tease Amu. The two girls then hung up, because Amu had to start planning the party. She decided to invite Utau to help her pick out decorations and food, and for once, Utau was actually available! First, they went to Party World and picked out dozens of little trinkets; party hats, water balloons, regular balloons, miniature trophies, gag items, and all the other junk they would need.

"Food time. I'm thinking meat balls, chicken wings, lots of fruits, brownies and cookies, burgers, hot dogs… am I missing anything?" Amu asked as they browsed the supermarket. Utau sighed.

"Nothing for vegetarians?" Amu couldn't help but stare at her.

"When did you become a vegetarian?" She demanded. Not that it was a bad thing, she just didn't realize Utau had changed food lifestyles.

"Oh, I'm not, but there might be vegetarians there. Get some beef-jerky, deviled eggs, tofu-turkey, and some other fake meats. You know, you're inviting a lot of people." Utau reminded her.

"Okay, okay, party is taken care of. Except for _clothessss_." Amu hinted, putting extra emphasis on 'clothes'. Utau caught her hint and they ran to the nearest department store, their parents' credit-cards in hand.

Utau chose an expensive Valentio dress; velvety golden fabric fell to her knees, and when given the choice of strapless or not, she chose strapless. She accessorized with a silver purse, silver pumps, and a diamond necklace. Kukai had given her the necklace, just a round diamond on a silver string, for her birthday. Amu went a different way though.

She bought a white dress with splashes of colors from the rainbow. The dress layered out at her chest and on the bottom, and was a slight v-cut. She also bought white boot/pumps (looked very classy with a tad bit of country) and two diamond bracelets.

"You. Look. HOT!" Utau said decisively, looking Amu up and down, making sure everything fit right. "By the way, who's your date?"

"I have to have a date?" Amu was caught off guard by Utau's question.

"Well DUH! If everyone else has to have a date, and it's your party, shouldn't you?"

"I suppose…" Amu responded, not happy with the turn of the conversation. With the party supplies and outfits ready for her Sweet 16, they went to eat lunch at a ramen shop on the corner. Utau had 3 large bowls of ramen and two orders of rice, while Amu could barely eat 1 medium bowl alone. The shop was small and smelled of broth and sweat, but the girls didn't mind, because the food was delicious and it held wonderful memories.

"I remember when Kukai brought me here. It was back when we were just friends…" Utau reminisced. Amu was sure she had some memory associated with this place, but she couldn't quite remember.

_What a pain. I thought I was done with this amnesia thing._

_XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO  
><em>

The Hinamori house was decorated, the snacks were out, and guests would be arriving any minute. Her mom and dad would be downstairs for the first half of the party and upstairs for the second half; Amu didn't want her annoying parents getting in the way of her Sweet 16. Ami would go to a friend's house an hour after the party started and be back in the morning. Now that everything was completely prepared, Amu just had to get dressed. She looked positively stunning and was ready to make some guys stare at her. Not that she needed their attention.

Guests arrived in groups; first a group of four, then a group of seven, then a group of three, then a group of fifteen. The biggest group hadn't come together, they had just arrived at the same time. An hour later, everyone was there except Rima, Hana-chan and Katsuro-sempai, and 6 other people. Amu's house was now filled to the brim with people, in total, 150! Her home wasn't big enough for everyone, so a third of the party population was outside.

Utau and Kukai looked absolutely adorable. Somehow, Kukai had accidentally come matching Utau, in a gold tux with a silver tie, silver cuffs, and silver shoes. Whenever someone shouted 'Chemical Element', the two would kiss passionately and everyone would cheer. They were the hit couple of the party.

There was a knock at the door, and Amu ran over excitedly. Rima had said she was almost there five minutes ago, so it must be her! Amu opened the door and immediately gave Rima a big hug. She was about to interrogate her date when she realized who her date was.

"I-Ikuto?"

"Hey, Amu." He said happily.

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><p><em>Okay, here is a notable review! Thanks a lot, xXChirushiXx<em>!

**_Lol I love this, Rima completely forgot about Nagihiko and is now dating her besties forgotten boyfriend and he now just want to for get her. Wake up Amu!_**

_Keep those reviews coming, guys, I love them! Who knows, maybe your review will be on the next chapter? :D  
><em>


	15. Chapter 15 A Devistating Cliff Hanger

_Hello everyone! Thanks for being patient, I was on a bit of a leave for a few days. I'm back for the weekend, and then I will be gone for several weeks, so don't expect this story to be updated for a long while. And I left it on a cliff-hanger too... and it's WAY too short... but oh well, this is just one of those short chapters._

_Thanks for the reviews!  
><em>

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><p>Amu continued to stare at Ikuto, her mouth hanging open, disbelief clear across her face. Rima waved her hand to try to bring attention back to herself.<p>

"Can we come in, or is this not a party?" She asked with a small laugh. Amu blinked a few times and then took a step out of the way. She hadn't seen or heard anything from Ikuto in months! He looked… nice. She decided he looked very, very nice. Rima and Ikuto walked in together, smiling at each other. Amu about hurled. She hadn't invited Tadase, so why did Ikuto have to come and ruin it? It was almost the perfect party, but now she would be too afraid go anywhere near Rima!

Amu knew she needed to talk to Rima in private, but she had to wait a bit so that no one suspected anything. She showed them around, introduced them to a few people, sent Ami upstairs to play, and refilled snack bowls. Finally, when Amu felt enough time had passed, she asked to borrow Rima for a minute. Ikuto reluctantly agreed, but not without telling Rima to hurry back. Amu pulled her into the bathroom and stared at her, angrier than she meant to be.

"What? When did… HOW did… why? How? Can't you… didn't you… RIMA!" Amu yelled, unsure of what she was tried to say. Rima didn't say anything, she just waited for Amu to find the words. Amu took a few deep breaths, let her head clear, and then frowned. "Why is Ikuto your date?"

"Why does it matter?" Rima shot back. She had expected Amu to be upset, but Amu was always the kind of person who was good with words, so she must have been very angry.

"B-because he's IKUTO! I don't want him anywhere near me! Why did you bring him?" Amu was clearly furious, but something about her anger was different. To Rima, it felt like she wasn't saying every reason she had for being angry.

"Well, we've been on a few dates, and I couldn't bring Nagihiko…" Rima muttered, not wanting to say those words. Amu looked at her, completely astonished.

"You've. Been. On. A. Few. Dates?" She asked through gritted teeth.

"Yes, is this a problem?" Rima asked innocently. Amu couldn't hold her rage in much longer. She had to scream, but it was a party, so she threw her head into a sink and screamed. **(A/N Haha, it feels a bit out of character, but she's really confused about why she is so angry!)**

"Rima… this hurts. Why are you doing this?"

"I don't know what you mean." At that Rima walked out and rejoined Ikuto. All Amu could do was watch as Ikuto put his arm around her best friend, and for some reason, she felt as if all the air had come out of her body. She could hardly breathe, yet she had to watch her best friend and her ex-boyfriend together. She wandered over to some other friends and tried to distract herself.

. . .

Rima tapped Ikuto's elbow a few minutes after Amu had walked away. She bit her lip and looked into his eyes, worry clear on her face. Ikuto merely moved his arm to be around her shoulder. After they decided to get something to eat from the table piled high with all sorts of party food, Rima returned to looking at Ikuto nervously. He sighed, ate a chip, and looked at her.

"Yes?"

"Amu is really freaked out." Rima said hesitantly, not wanting anyone to over hear them. Ikuto frowned.

"Freaked out that I'm here, or freaked out that I'm here with you?" He asked, pouring a drink for him and Rima. Rima shook her head, unsure of what to say.

"Neither… well… both? I think it's both, but a bit more that you're here with me." She answered, hoping this mattered. She didn't really understand Ikuto's plan, and she wasn't sure she wanted to. She wanted Ikuto to respond to her and stop keeping his plan such a secret.

"Okay, we'll kick it into high-gear. Where's Amu now?" He searched the room without moving from the table, now ready to do what ever surprise technique he had planned. Rima and he looked around the house, finding Amu in the living room playing Dance Dance Revolution with poor kid who was losing miserably. Ikuto and Rima came in silently, Ikuto looking confident, Rima confused. She honestly had no idea what was going to happen.

When Amu let someone else have a turn, she noticed Rima and Ikuto, and it all happened very quickly. Ikuto looked Rima right in the eye, winked, and crashed his lips onto her, kissing her passionately. Rima wasn't sure what to do; she liked it, but she didn't. Should she try to get away? Should she kiss him back? Was this his secret technique that was sure to get Amu to remember? She decided it was best to just go with it, so she wrapped her arms around his neck, pushed herself closer to him, and kissed him back. The whole room erupted in 'ooooh's, 'you go, Tsukiyomi!'s, 'Tongue, tongue!', and 'dang that girl knows how to get dirty's. Amu could only stare, her face red with anger, and her fists clenched.

Ikuto, seeing that Rima had caught on, weaseled his hands to her butt and squeezed it. Rima let out a fake (though very convincing) moan and then pulled away, staring seductively at Ikuto. After a few moments, the crowd of people returned to what they were doing, but Rima and Ikuto continued to stare into each others eyes. Amu took a step towards them, tears streaming from her eyes.

"How dare you? How dare you kiss my boyfriend?" She screeched, hardly aware of what she was saying. "And how dare you like it?" She turned to Ikuto now.

"We aren't together." Ikuto responded, holding back the sadness that he truly felt. How could he look at his poor Amu when she was like this?

"W-what? Yes we are!" Amu slowly came back to her senses and remembered that they weren't dating anymore. She bit her lip, trying to stop the tears, but she for some reason hated the idea of not being near Ikuto.

"Amu… Ikuto isn't my boyfriend…" Rima said, finally speaking. She took a small step away from Ikuto and wiped off her mouth because of that kiss. Amu blinked a few times and frowned.

"Then why did you just do that? Are you a whore or something? I can't figure out why I feel like this!" Amu honestly had no idea why she was so upset all the time. She couldn't think of a reason for wanting to be away from Ikuto AND wanting to be near him at the same time. Her emotions had been at war since the accident. Finally, she decided to just let things happen and walked up to Ikuto, let out a final tear, and wrapped her arms around him.

Rima didn't respond to Amu's previous question. She was holding her breath, hoping Amu and Ikuto would finally make up. Ikuto didn't speak; he just held Amu and waited for her to talk. Amu stared at him through tear-filled eyes.

"Why do I hate you? Why am I afraid of you?" She asked as she allowed him to hold her close.

"Because of a stupid accident. Tadase got me really angry, and when I went to beat the crap out of him, I hit you instead…. It was an accident…. I still love you." He whispered, unsure oh what he was saying. Thankfully, everyone in the room around them ignored them now, so it wasn't as if the whole room had gone silent. Then the pressure would really be on.

"I think I don't like being afraid of you. I think I don't _like_ hating you. How do I stop?" She murmured into his chest. He pushed her slightly away, looking down at her and kissed the top of her head.

"You just do."

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><p><em>Will Amu finally forgive Ikuto, or was this a false alarm? Maybe she's just being toyed with by her crazy emotions. It's hard to forgive someone you've hated for so long. And then there's Rima. Has she secretly fallen for Ikuto a bit? Has Ikuto fallen for her a bit too? Who knows. Maybe there is a small spark there, waiting to be ignited! And then where does Nagi come in? How about Ronnie? Will she and Tadase get a happy ever after? So much to read about in the oncoming chapters of The Bonds of Trust, which will begin coming out August 18th!<em>


	16. Chapter 16 Sleepover and Moving

_Woooow it's been a long time since I've updated! I'm sorry, but the vacation is over and I'm back and ready to write! I Know I promised this would be out yesterday, but it just couldn't happen. Sorrrrry :'( I don't own Shugo Chara and I hope you like this chapter!  
><em>

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><p>Amu wanted to kiss Ikuto gently on the lips, but after his steamy kiss with Rima, she wasn't sure that would be appropriate. Instead, she kissed his cheek. Then she turned to Rima who was watching anxiously, hanging onto every word. Rima immediately broke out into an explanation.<p>

"Please don't be mad Amu! Let me tell you why we did that! See we were just trying to-"

"Save it," Amu interrupted, gesturing with her palm for Rima to stop, "for when we aren't partying. Let's go enjoy the party." They spent the rest of the night enjoying themselves. When Amu officially ended the party at around 2 AM, a few people said they needed a place to crash. Three girls and Ikuto all wanted to know if they could sleep at Amu's.

She was hesitant to allow this, especially when it came to Ikuto, but she reluctantly agreed because of the situation. Setting up 3 sleeping bags on the ground was the easy part. The hard part was going to be hiding them from her parents. With any luck though, her parents wouldn't bother coming into her room before everyone woke up. To be extra cautious, Amu hid Ikuto in the furthest corner of the room away from the door, so if they came in and saw the girls, they might not see him.

"Can't I sleep with you, Amu?" He whispered playfully, careful for the other girls not to hear him. That would have caused some serious problems for the couple.

"Yes, in a million years." She replied, completely ignoring his question and focusing on making the beds on the ground more comfortable. As it was, she'd have to let one girl sleep in the bed with her, so things wouldn't exactly be comfy in her small bedroom. Kissing Amu's cheek goodnight, Ikuto crawled into his sleeping bag and fell asleep almost immediately, thinking carefully about what would happen with his and Amu's relationship.

"Okay, since Ikuto is asleep, how about we play a little game of truth or dare?" One of the girls, Kaiyo, suggested, sitting cross-legged on her sleeping bag. Amu was hesitant though. Was Ikuto really asleep? She didn't feel comfortable playing such a game with him in the room. And would her parents hear if they made too much noise? Unfortunately for Amu, the girls were now nodding their agreement. She didn't want to be a bad host, so she swallowed her fears and lowered herself to the ground, ready to begin the game.

"Okay, Kaiyo suggested it, so she should go first." Miya, a petite, cheerful girl said, having been quiet up until then. Kaiyo smiled and turned to Amaya.

"Amaya, truth or dare?" She asked, willing Amaya to answer truth. Amaya whispered something shyly to herself and then spoke up.

"T-Truth." _How did this girl even bring herself to come to the party?_ Amu thought.

"Okay… do you now, or have you ever had a crush on Ikuto Tsukiyomi?" Kaiyo asked daringly, sneaking a peak at the sleeping Ikuto. Amu about collapsed. Amaya giggled quietly to herself and turned to face Kaiyo directly.

"Yes, I have had a crush on Ikuto in the past. Twice. Once because he almost asked me out but I got carried away by some crazy friends. I just thought it was so sweet that I started liking him." Amaya shrugged it off, hoping no one thought too much of it. Amu just stared open-mouthed.

"Me too!" Miya interjected! "He's gorgeous and sweet and super tough! I love it! He's so sexy! Lucky Amu." She pouted at the last part, though was clearly energetic because the conversation had turned to Ikuto.

"How about you, Kaiyo?" Amaya said near-silently. Kaiyo turned to Amu, regretting that she had asked the question.

"Um, no." She replied, hoping not to offend her host. Her and Amu were pretty good friends on and off, but she felt the other two's answers had really upset Amu.

"Alright, is it my turn then? Amu, truth or dare?" Amaya asked hesitantly.

"Dare."

"I dare you to text Rima that you are going out with Nagihiko and see what she says." Amu was pretty shocked. She didn't think Amaya was out-going enough to ask such a question, and she never considered that she knew about Nagihiko. But Amu reluctantly agreed and texted Rima, who responded in a strange way.

'But what about Ikuto?'

'I can go out with both right?' Amu sent back, prompted by the overly stimulated girls.

'I-I guess. Okay. Fine.' 10 minutes later Amu called Rima and told her it was just a silly dare. Rima was more than relieved but she tried to hide it.

"Hm… Miya, truth or dare?" Amu said playfully, now in the game despite the fact that it was getting earlier and earlier in the morning.

"Oh, I have a good one for you! Can I ask it real quick?" Amu didn't see a problem so she gestured for Miya to continue. "Do you still talk to Tadase?" At that point, Ikuto was awoken by the giggling girls. He woke silently, not moving an inch, and baring fluttering his eyes open. Immediately hearing Amu the girls talking and guessing about the situation, he stayed silent, intent on listening in.

"Tadase? Not much, because I'm still kind of mad at him, but when I do I never tell anyone, and neither does he." She responded quietly, sensing something was off about the room.

"You bad girl!" They all teased. Amu rolled her eyes.

"It's not a big deal!"

"But would Ikuto like it?" Kaiyo pressed, digging deeper and deeper for information. Amu was silent for a moment.

"Probably not… but what he doesn't know can't hurt him."

"Yeah, but he'd probably be really ticked! He'd probably kill Tadase and be really p. at you!" Miya jumped in. Ikuto sat in the corner of the room, careful not to even breathe. What were they saying? What was Amu doing with Tadase? Whatever it was, it seems they think she should stop now that she's with him again, but she isn't going to! What did it mean?

Ikuto couldn't bring himself to fall asleep again, even after an hour had passed and the girls decided to try to get some sleep themselves. As hard as he tried, sleep just wouldn't come.

Xxx

"Tadase?" Ronnie whispered, seeing him standing at her door. He stared at the floor, refusing to look her in the eye. She wasn't sure what to say or do. Part of her wanted to invite him in, but the other wanted to close the door and never let him near her again.

"Veronica… I-"

"Ronnie." She corrected. Why had he said that? Maybe he had been trying to be formal to her. Or maybe he was trying to get on her nerves. He smiled slightly at her correction and took a small step into her room.

"_Ronnie_. We fought over… such a stupid thing. I mean, you were mad about the party thing, I had just been thinking about Amu a lot that day, and I said things I didn't mean to." Was he trying to apologize?

"Well, obviously you'd been thinking about her a lot, in an unfaithful way." Ronnie pointed out. Tadase hung his head and took two more small steps towards Ronnie.

"Yeah, so… I'm sorry." He finally got it out, and it looked like it hurt for him to say. _Not because he's prideful… more like because he's sorrowful._ Ronnie decided. He then walked and sat down on the bed next to Ronnie. She wasn't sure what to say or do again, and prayed he didn't try to do anything inappropriate.

"Thanks. Apology accepted." Was all she could say. Tadase seemed hurt at her response, but kept silent as well. Then he stood up and smiled at Ronnie.

"I guess I shouldn't have expected anything more than that, huh? Alright, nice talking to you." He said as he began walking out of the room. Ronnie grabbed his hand without even thinking.

"What do you want me to say?" She asked, not sure if she was asking him or herself the question.

"I wanted you… to take me back. But I understand despite the fact that I'm still in love with you, there's too much drama caught up in this. It's okay." Tadase stared intently into her eyes, almost begging her to object. Ronnie could have broken down crying right there. She hadn't told him yet, and she wasn't sure if she could anymore.

"Tadase, I would, I really honestly would, if it wasn't for…" How could she say it? It would kill her to do it!

"You've met someone?" He guessed, his eyes seeming to fill with sadness. Ronnie shook her head strongly.

"No, no, no! I'm… going back to America." She waited impatiently for his response, which did take about 50 seconds.

"Oh." He didn't meet her gaze. "When?"

"One week from tomorrow." She tried to understand the cheerlessness in his face now. Was leaving really going to hurt him that much? She didn't understand.

"Well I'll be happy to see you off at the airport. My family has truly enjoyed having yours in our home." He said respectfully, trying to keep his emotions in check. He had truly fallen for Ronnie.

"Great, see you then." Tadase left her room, filled with emotions he wasn't sure what to think about.

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><p><em>Okay that was the chapter! Surprisingly, it's a bit longer than my usual chapters have been, so enjoy! And of course a comment that made me LOL was: <em>

Yay! Amu needs to stop being afraid and man up! Lol

AMUTO forever! Great story

_Thanks Crazyrawrx3 for reading and thanks for reviewing!_


	17. Chapter 17 A rather eventful day

_Awww, you guys are going to hate me for this one. It's kind of short. :/  
>Sorry about not updating for so long, by the way. OH! I want to thank every person who's reviewed, Favorited this story, and Favorited me as an author. It honestly means the world to me, and let's me know that as an author I am improving.<em>

_Speaking of improving (Ugh this is going to sound like advertising...) I am actually releasing a NEW STORY! Gasp! Yes, my signature Amuto style is getting old (though I'll continue on with this book and Stockholm Syndrome, my other Amuto story, to the end) so I am doing a Kutau one. On my page you guys voted for a Guardian Character story over a Kutau or Rimahiko book, but this came to me as an inspiration and I couldn't resist. The summary is on my profile (Which has been revised if you haven't seen it yet) and I'll put out chapter one eventually._

_Oh, right. I forgot. To those who did vote for a Guardian Character story, that will be my next one. Maybe just a one-shot, I'm not sure yet. If it's a one-shot, it could be out as soon as this month, depending on if I think of anything I like for it. Alright, just updating you guys, sorry to take up so much of your time. I love you all, thanks for reviewing, and I hope you can improve as an author as much as I have._

:)

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><p>The next morning, at around 9:30, everyone went home. The girls thanked Amu for an awesome party, a fun sleepover, and an overall great time. When they left her room, her parents were confused, but they Amu explained they had come over a few hours ago when everyone was still asleep to talk about something. Ikuto, who was going to leave Amu's home via her window, was quiet. He kept himself from Amu, pretending to be very busy on his phone, because he honestly had no idea how to talk to her about it. Maybe he had misunderstood? Maybe she was talking about something completely different. Ikuto wasn't sure <em>what<em> to think. He wanted to talk to her about it, but he didn't know what words to use. Once the girls were gone, Amu crawled over to Ikuto and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I love you." She whispered. Ikuto remained quiet for a moment as he considered what to say. Of course he loved her too, but he did want to talk about what he had heard…

"Do you also love Tadase?" He asked. He didn't mean to, it just came out. Amu stared at him blankly, unsure of what to say in response.

"W-well, no, why do you ask?" She finally managed, quite dumbstruck from his question.

"Because I heard you talking last night with those girls. I'm not sure what to think anymore." Amu was so shocked to hear these words that she didn't react nearly fast enough. Once again silent, Ikuto stood up and walked to her window. Without an ounce of emotion, he said "I love you too." And jumped. He meant what he said, and Amu knew that, but he had something he wanted to do before Amu explained.

Xoxoxo

Tadase waited patiently in his room for Ronnie to finish her homework. She had promised to spend the rest of the day with him, once her work was complete, and Tadase was looking forward to it.

_She can't be my girlfriend, we can't have a relationship, and we can barely be friends. What a mess this has turned out to be._ He thought to himself, meditating on the few days he had left with her. He had lost Amu, gained Ronnie, lost Ronnie, gained Amu, lost Amu and _almost _gained Ronnie in less than a year. The only two girls he really cared about were gone from his life forever. Amu hardly wanted anything to do with him, and Ronnie would be in America. How often would she be able to fly over to Japan to visit with him? Never. And he knew it. With just a week left of time with Ronnie, how would he ever make up for the time they weren't together?

Tadase looked up from his daydreaming when he noticed Ikuto climbing in through his window. He stood up completely confused and confronted him immediately.

"Ikuto, why are you here?" He demanded, unsure of what to say to the man who had just climbed in through his window.

"Tell me what you and Amu do secretly!" he yelled. Ikuto wanted to hear from Tadase what was going on, not Amu.

"W-what do you mean?" He stuttered, staring at Ikuto in confusion. Ikuto slammed his fist on the desk.

"Are you and Amu back together?"

"N-no, of c-course not!" Tadase was clearly intimidated by Ikuto's fierce ways of handling things.

"Then what are you two doing in secret?" He demanded. Tadase was shaking slightly, only because he saw what Ikuto had done to Amu and meant to do to him.

"Talking…" he admitted, almost inaudibly. "She's forgiven me, and she wants to be friends. But, she's not sure when we can be publicly friends." Ikuto was quiet for a moment as he considered the story. That did sound like something Amu would do in this case, and she certainly didn't seem like she was cheating. Ikuto decided to believe Tadase, and spare him the beating he had planned.

"Whatever, just stay away from Amu. She's mine." _Unless she wants to be near you._ He added mentally. If Amu wanted to be friends with Tadase, he wouldn't stop her, but he would try to deter _him_.

Content with his answer, Ikuto returned to his home only to find Amu sitting on the couch, chatting nervously with Utau. Obviously she had come to talk to him, but Utau was home for once, so he'd let the two talk for a while. _I've been climbing through windows all day, why stop now? _He questioned himself as he climbed through his bedroom window and lay down to take a nap.

Meanwhile, Utau and Amu were re-acquainting. They hadn't talked in so long besides on the phone, so it was great to see each other in person. Amu even forget about how confused she was regarding Ikuto while they talked.

"So why aren't you at practice?" Amu asked.

"I'm taking a week off. It's really consuming my life, and my school work is piling up.' She responded, not concerned at all by the break. "Oh, did you hear about Rima?" Amu shook her head no. "Her and Nagi are back together!" Utau squeaked excitedly.

"That's so great! They're so sweet together! Do you know about Ronnie then?" Amu added, exchanging gossip. Now it was Utau's turn to be in the dark. "She's moving back to America. She told Tadase right after he apologized and tried to get them back together." Utau gasped.

"No way!"

"I feel really bad about it. As pissed as I am at Tadase, he deserves someone who loves him. And Ronnie really was that girl." The two girls were earnestly sorry that Ronnie had to go; she had become a good friend and proved a genuinely nice girl. But she wasn't really an enormous part of their life, so it wouldn't affect them too greatly.

"We'll have to hang out with her before she moves back. One last hurrah." Utau suggested. Amu laughed and decided that would be a wonderful idea. Readjusting herself on the couch and lowering the volume on the TV, Amu turned to Utau with serious eyes.

"Ikuto said something strange to me…" She began, and then retold the entire story, not leaving out a single detail so that Utau knew exactly what to think. As Amu told the story, her friend nodded and kept quiet and she listened, a very considerate thing to do. When Amu was done, she was silent for a moment as she considered things.

"I'm not a genius Amu, and as well as I understand Ikuto, I can't tell you why he said what he said. But! I think he may have gone to see Tadase. That's sounds like something he would do." Surprise grasped Amu's eyes, explaining her fears to Utau. Immediately, Amu whipped out her phone and called Tadase.

"Hey, what's up?" He asked in English. Amu figured it was because he was with Ronnie at the moment, so she asked him to speak in Japanese.

"Sorry. Okay, what's going on?" He amended.

"Did Ikuto come see you today?" Silence for a moment, followed by a:

"Yeah, he just left. Why?"

"Did you hurt you or anything?" Amu demanded, concern filling her voice. Tadase laughed to himself a bit.

"No, no he didn't. He just wanted to know if you and I had gotten back together. I told him no and he left. Easy as that." Tadase said, his voice flowing with each word. He seemed happy, Amu noted. That was good, she wanted Tadase to be happy.

"Ok, thanks. Hey, is Ronnie there?" She asked, content with how the conversation had gone.

"Yeah." He said back. "Hey, Amu!" Ronnie shouted from a few feet away. Amu laughed and told Tadase to let Ronnie know they were going to hang out soon. With that finished, Amu said goodbye to her two friends and hung up her phone.

"Okay, so the real question is where Ikuto is now." Utau decided.

"Yeah, we should go find him. Actually… I should go find him." Amu said slyly, indicating that she wanted to be alone with Ikuto. Utau, catching her drift, told her to have fun and walked Amu to the door.

"Don't do anything stupid when you find him." Utau laughed.

"No promises." Amu laughed back.

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><p><em>AviTaRi provided an amusing and rather adorable review last chapter, and I couldn't resist.<em>

**"Owie, a slumber party...humuhumuhumu xD**

** Update, Dea-Nih-ptus \(^v^)/ *chi*"**

_Thank you for your constant reviews, they make me smile. ^_^_**  
><strong>


	18. Chapter 18 The End is Nearing

_It's been a few weeks since I've updated (Sorry about that), but I'm glad to finally have this chapter up. It's been bugging me. I do currently have 3 books in total up that need updating on a regular basis, this being one of them, but since there's three, some tend to get neglected. However this particular book is coming to an end sometime next month (Depending on how often I update), so soon I'll be free to write my other two that are coming along so wonderfully._

This is currently my highest reviewed book (Ty, ty) so I'm very happy to see where it's going, but I expect Stockholm Syndrome to surpass it very soon. Let's see what happens, 'kay? Thank you all for reading/reviewing, and have a wonderful day!

PS This chapter is a bit... eh... controversial? I don't know. It might tick some people off XD

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><p>After leaving the Tsukiyomi house, Amu pulled out her cell phone again and called Ikuto. She waited for him eagerly but he never answered.<p>

"Hmph." She growled to herself, angry that he hadn't answered. She wanted to see him so badly and get over the little fight they had had earlier that she could barely stand it. The places she would look for him were all pretty far away, but they were also all pretty close to her house, so it wasn't a big deal. She took off running to the first place he might be; the ice cream shop. When she arrived and searched the place, she was disappointed to find he was not there. Of course, no sense wasting a perfectly good trip to the ice cream

Parlor, so she bought herself a chocolate ice cream cone to sustain her during her search.

He wasn't at the park, in any of his favorite trees, or at the old Royal Garden which had, since Amu's time, been abandoned. Finally she arrived at her home; she was convinced that he was waiting impatiently in her room for her, so she ran upstairs only to find that he wasn't there either. In a huff she once again pulled out her cell phone only to notice 4 missed calls, all from Ikuto.

"Ikuto?" She answered after she returned his four missed calls.

"Hey." He said quietly, almost in a whisper. Amu thought it was odd, but she didn't pay any attention to it.

"I've been looking everywhere for you! Where'd you go?" Amu laughed. "I really wanted us to… you know… _make up_."

"Hey Ikuto, who're you talking to?" A faint voice in the background asked. Amu thought she could recognize it, but there was no way to be sure unless the person spoke again.

"You know who. I'm talking to Amu." He responded, much louder than the other voice because he held the phone. Amu waited breathlessly for the voice, perfectly silent, so that she could identify it.

"Oh. Okay. Hurry up then." The voice responded with an ounce of hurt noticeable in her tone. Amu couldn't believe it. Could it really be Rima? Could her best friend be with Ikuto right now? What were they doing? Hadn't she gotten back together with Nagihiko? Amu's head was spinning.

"Hey, um, who's with you?" She asked, praying Ikuto didn't notice the accusation in her voice.

"Just Utau. Anyway, yeah I'd love to make up, but we'll have to save it for tonight, because I've got my hands full…" Silence for a moment except for a soft giggle. "I've got to go. Love you." He was sincere in his words, Amu was sure of this, but he had also lied about talking with Utau. That definitely was NOT Utau. Amu hung up, but not without saying goodbye back so he didn't suspect anything, and she began her ride back to his house. If he was really with Utau, they would be at their home.

**Ƹ̵̡****Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"Rima… no, this… no…" Ikuto whispered as he held Rima in his arms. He had spent so much time with her, found that they had so much in common, and shared such a passionate kiss; how could he possibly keep himself from her now? Rima pulled herself from Ikuto's grip in response.

"I don't want to hurt Amu, but she's not the only one that fell in love with you." Rima whispered, grabbing Ikuto's hand with hers and leading him over to the couch in his room. Without hesitation, she pushed him onto it and sat comfortably on his lap, playing with his hair.

"What about Fujisaki?" He challenged as Rima settled down in his arms. Despite how confused he was about what was going on, he didn't push Rima away.

"Oh we're not back together. We wanted to, but… I fell for someone else." She murmured in his ear. She then kissed his cheek, unable to withstand how she felt about him.

"But this makes you the jerk who stole her best friend's boyfriend, and me the unfaithful boyfriend who was easily stolen by the seductress." He concluded angrily.

"That would be the case if it weren't for the fact that I fell in love with you when you weren't dating Amu." Their debate was slowly quieting down though, as Ikuto found it hard for himself to fight off his devils. For two minute intervals every now and then, the argument would stop as they kissed passionately, played with each others hair, or sat staring into each others eyes. Finally Ikuto realized he needed to make a decision.

"Look Rima, I… I do love you, but I love Amu too, and I know I can't have both of you." Rima knew this the whole time, but when she heard it aloud, she was taken aback with concern. Ikuto would have to pick one of them. If he chose Amu, she would lose the man she loved but keep her best friend. But if he chose her, she would lose her best friend and keep Ikuto. Everyone's life would be affected all because she fell in love with someone. It was wrong of her, wasn't it?

"This will never end, you know." She whispered, tears now falling from her eyes as she let her head hang low. Ikuto looked at her with both concerned and confused eyes, as if pleading for her to stop and asking what she meant. "No matter who you choose, you'll always love the other. Your relationship will always be haunted by that other girl who you still have feelings for. There's only one way for us to all move on with our lives: You have to break up with me _and_ Amu. That's the best Happy Ending we'll ever get."

Ikuto didn't want to hear it though. He didn't want her to tell him what he had already known. He didn't want to think about the fact that loving another woman would end both relationships forever. So to keep his thoughts from screaming at him in his mind, he pressed himself against Rima, kissing her zealously, never letting another word come between them for the rest of the date.

**Ƹ̵̡****Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Tadase lightly kicked the tips of his feet in the pool as he waited for Ronnie to come out. It was too cold to go in yet, but the heat of the mid-day sun still made him wish he could jump in. Just then Ronnie came out in her sailor-striped one piece swimsuit that flattered her petite figure. She didn't have much of a chest or anything in the way of hips, but her smile was enough to make Tadase the happiest guy in the world. Tadase laughed as he waited patiently for Ronnie to make her way over to him, remembering a picture he had showed he that was pre-braces. Her teeth had been so horrible that she wore head-gear and braces for 5 years!

"Hey!" She said happily, sitting down next to him on the edge of the pool. "Why aren't you going in?"

"I was waiting for you." He answered, a mischievous smile forming on his face. Before she knew it, Tadase pushed Ronnie into the water with a firm throw of his hand. He laughed uncontrollably as she splashed frantically to return to the surface, surprise and anger covering her face.

"Tadase Hotori, did you just push me into the pool?" She demanded, a mischievous smile of her own slowly forming. Tadase nodded, but not before he pulled his feet from the pull, stood up and dashed away from the water's edge. Ronnie, undeterred, stepped out of the pool and gave Tadase a big hug.

"I forgive you Tadase. Hey can we go to the park for a minute? I left something there." She sounded perfectly innocent, so Tadase didn't mind running to the part of the park that was only a few minutes from his home. Once they were in front of plenty of traffic, Ronnie smiled at Tadase. When his guard was down, she pointed in any direction and pants-ed him! Right in front of over two dozen cars! Screaming like a mad woman and flailing her arms about wildly, she ran back to the house and jumped into the pool, absorbing the cool, refreshing feel. When Tadase returned, he was much more amused than angry, though his face was bright red.

After an hour of playing in the pool, they retired to the living room inside, watching TV. Ronnie grinned and then kissed Tadase passionately on the lips. Though it was a happy time for the young couple, Ronnie's time in Japan was over the following afternoon.

**Ƹ̵̡****Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Nagihiko waited impatiently for his dance lesson to be over. He mindlessly repeated the steps just as his mother had requested as he focused on Rima. The name rolled off his tongue, making him both angry and love-sick. Her intoxicating beauty and fragile nature caused him to yearn for her more than usual, especially since she said she wanted some more time to see other people.

_Who? _He had asked, knowing she had someone specific in mind. She remained silent, her eyes to the ground, as she considered what to say. Could she tell him it was Ikuto? Could she even say there _was _another?

_Just… no one in particular. I just think we need some more time apart. _Why had she delivered such a powerful blow? Nagihiko's love for her was a thousand times stronger than this fellow she was falling for, so why was their any doubt in her mind?

Now Nagihiko knew it was Ikuto Tsukiyomi, Amu's boyfriend, who Rima was falling for. He had learned this on accident of course, and when Rima discovered this fact, she immediately pleaded with him not to tell. He had reluctantly agreed, but only because he was backed against a wall. If he told Amu, surely Rima would never take him back.

"The things we do for love." He muttered under his breath as his mother called out more directions to him.

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><p><em>Thanks a ton to Amuto-Robstar! I don't have time to post her review (So sorry!) but this isn't my first time choosing her review for you all to see, so here's hoping she doesn't mind!<em>


	19. Chapter 19 The Things Done For Love

_Ah yes, the chapter is finally up! I'll be honest; this was possibly the most fun chapter I've ever written. Well, fun for me to write. Not so much for you to read! But have faith in the author, my lovely readers, everything works out in the end. I practically die of laughter when I read your reviews! I wish I could take credit for making you so crazy about Rimuto, but the actual anime/manga of Shugo Chara laid the foundation, I just fanfiction-ified it. Thank you for your reviews because I truly am grateful, and try to remember, everything works out for the best in the end._

_On a side note, yes, I've changed my pen-name. Hopefully that won't confuse anyone too much. See my profile for more info._

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><p>Amu walked slowly to the Tsukiyomi household, impatient to see Ikuto. She feared what she would find, of course. Ikuto and Rima, Ikuto and another girl, anything could happen. A few times she had broken into tears as she considered these possibilities, but she always made herself cheer up with the thought that maybe she was wrong. Her stomach was twisting and churning and she didn't know how to stop it. Her eyes felt heavy, as if she might cry again or collapse on the ground. Was she being overly emotional for a 16 or 17 year old? She didn't think so. She knew teens older than her who had acted like this one time or another. It wasn't a very long walk back to Ikuto's house, but every passing second felt like a millennium. Finally she arrived and, without any form of hesitation, knocked on the door. Utau opened it a few moments later.<p>

"Oh hey Amu! Wait… Amu? Did you forget something here?" Amu didn't know what Utau was talking about, but she refused to think too hard about it.

"Uh, no, I'm here to see Ikuto. Is… is he here?" She hadn't come in yet, but she was searching from the door to try to see him lounging on the couch, or making a snack in the kitchen.

"You're freaking me out Amu. I don't have any idea what's going on so I guess I'll play along. Ikuto's in his room." Utau side-stepped and gestured for Amu to come in. Amu had been to the Tsukiyomi house a hundred times, so Utau didn't show her friend to her brother's room, she just went back to playing chess against herself. Amu, who was earlier the image of confidence, now felt herself concerned and unsure. She didn't want to see what was behind Ikuto's door. Her heart stopped for a moment and her breathing ceased as she raised her hand to the door, knocked, and walked in. Ikuto was on his bed listening to music with his eyes closed so he hadn't seen Amu come in. Using this to her advantage she searched for a second to see any sign that another girl had been there. She didn't see anything, so she calmly called his name.

"Amu?" Ikuto responded, shocked to see her. He turned off his music and took her into a strong hug.

"I thought you were too busy to hang out…" Ikuto lost his composure for a moment but regained it almost immediately.

"Yeah well… I was gonna go to the airport with Ronnie and her family. I don't really want to see that loser, Tadase, but Ronnie helped me get you back… so I owe her." Amu was so far beyond relief that she kissed every inch of Ikuto's face.

"I thought you were cheating on me!" She said exasperatedly between kisses. Ikuto did not move for a few moments. His eyes were locked on Amu's and he could not find the words to speak. Nervously, Amu added: "What's worse, with Rima. I see I'm wrong though. We should… see a movie." Ikuto did not know what to say. He just couldn't think of anything.

"Love is a funny thing, isn't it?" He murmured.

The couple spent the remainder of the day doing things that any couple might do. They went to the zoo for an hour, failed at ice-skating for two, and then said goodbye to Ronnie. She had enjoyed her time in Japan very much and wanted to return at her first opportunity, but it was known without being spoken that such an opportunity would not come. After Amu chatted with Tadase for a few minutes (to Ikuto's dismay), she and her boyfriend walked to the park and threw sticks at ducks. They were chased away by elderly people shouting at them for being stupid kids, and then Amu suggested they go to Rima's for a little while. Ikuto was hesitant but he knew that he couldn't give her the reason _why_, so he reluctantly followed Amu to his doom.

Rima was surprised to see them, to say the least. She feared that maybe Amu had found out and was now confronting her, but Amu seemed perfectly happy, so she did not consider it again. They had a small lunch and watched a movie, and did a few other things before Amu announced that she had to use the bathroom. When she was gone Ikuto and Rima turned to each other with bewildered expressions.

"Ikuto…" Rima whispered, wrapping her arms around him. He wrapped his around her in return and they sat in each others arms in silence for a few moments.

"We can't do this Rima. Not here. Not ever, actually." Ikuto sighed, though he did not release Rima.

"I feel like an awful friend." She said, burying her head in his chest. "I didn't ask to fall in love with you. It's not _my_ fault I can't go a day without you." She whispered in an irritated voice. Every one of her friends would hate her for ruining Ikuto and Amu's relationship, but had she really done something so wrong? Had falling in love with Ikuto made her a terrible person?

"It's no ones fault. I feel the same way about you, and it's killing me. I'm betraying Amu after I just got her back, and even though I want us to stop, a life without you doesn't sound fun. But just think what this would do to Amu! Neither of us would get her." Rima began to cry ever so slightly; she understood what Ikuto was saying and even agreed with him, but she cared for him so deeply. Out of love for her best friend she worked with Ikuto to reunite them, but her selfless act of love had become a selfish secretive love. It wasn't fair to anyone. Ikuto was being forced to choose between two girls, Rima had to decide whether her relationship with Ikuto or Amu was more important (As she could only have one) and poor Amu didn't have a single clue that anything was happening. How would _she_ feel if she discovered her best friend and her boyfriend were dating? She'd be angry at them, for sure, but she'd be angry at herself as well. After all, it was her fault they had fallen in love; if she hadn't been so angry at Ikuto and scared of him there never would have been a problem. And when Amu refused to speak to the two and hated herself for enabling them, who knew what she would do.

"So we have to stop. We have to put Amu's feelings before our own and… and stop." Rima responded, clearly agonized at the thought. Ikuto wiped a few tears from her eyes and kissed her forehead.

"We'll talk about this later. Right now is _not _the time to hug, or kiss, or talk about our relationship when Amu is in the other room." They both agreed that this was the best thing to do at the moment, broke from their embrace, and acted as if nothing had happened. When Amu returned she found her boyfriend and her best friend sitting on the couch, a spot in the middle left for her, and they turned on another movie.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Tadase and Nagihiko hadn't planned it, it just happened. Nagihiko went to the library to find a book on dancing and Tadase had gone to the most boring place he could think of to try to forget about Ronnie. They had bumped into each other (quite literally) and now were talking outside of the library. It was beginning to rain but they didn't want to go inside because then they couldn't talk above a whisper. They hadn't seen each other in a while so they talked about things that had happened, things that hadn't happened, and things they wanted to happen. Tadase brought up Ronnie several times, but Nagihiko didn't mind.

"Are you and Rima back together yet?" Tadase asked, expecting the answer to be yes.

"No, not yet." That shocked Tadase, but he was thinking of Ronnie so much that he appeared to not care. "And what's worse, her and Ikuto-" Tadase's shock was now very visible on his face as he stared at his old friend. Nagihiko covered his mouth but it was too late.

"You don't mean…" Nagihiko nodded reluctantly. "So Amu's being cheated on! That means there's a chance I can get her back!" Tadase shouted triumphantly. Nagihiko's face drained of all color as he pushed his friend to the ground to get him to shut up.

"If you tell Amu, Rima will find out, and then she won't talk to me ever again!" He hissed. Tadase seemed undeterred.

"But that's not my problem, buddy. Amu and me can be together!" Nagihiko stared at him in complete disbelief.

"So the day Ronnie, your love, leaves the country, you move on to Amu? That's disgusting! What if Ronnie gets back to America and hooks up with some guy? How would you feel?" At first Tadase planned on responding with 'that's not my problem' again, but then he realized just how he would have felt. It would make him feel as if they never had anything special, and that he was just something to occupy her time in Japan.

"Alright, I see your point." Tadase agreed grudgingly. "But Amu deserves to know."

"Oh definitely. I feel like a terrible friend for not telling her but honestly, we'd be hurting Amu just as badly if we _do _tell her." The two friends were silent as they considered these things and tried to decide what to do. The wind blew through their hair and the rain moistened their clothes but they did not go inside. It was clear to both of them that they needed to speak more.

"So what do we do?" Tadase asked, breaking the silence. Nagihiko shook his head disapprovingly.

"We wait. If Ikuto and Rima don't do something about this by the end of the week we go to Amu. The way I see it, if we do tell her she'll be heart-broken and probably won't date again for years. If we don't tell her, there's a chance, albeit slim, that Ikuto and Rima will do what's right and stop." Tadase did not seem pleased with this plan.

"And what if they choose each other? What if they toss Amu and her feelings away like last weeks trash? _Then_ what?"

"If that happens… If Ikuto chooses Rima… it will be easier for Amu, knowing that he at least had the decency to break up with her instead of dating them both." Neither Tadase nor Nagihiko liked this arrangement; Tadase wanted Amu, Nagihiko Rima, but they both knew how delicately this needed to be handled. If it didn't work out just right then everyone would lose. Nagihiko didn't think Tadase would ever get Amu back though. The way he saw it, Tadase hated the thing that made Amu the happiest, so how could he ever be with her? Nagihiko, on the other hand, could not bring himself to hate the object of Rima's affections, Ikuto, because he cared too much for her to take away her happiness.

"The things we do for love…"

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><p><em>So maybe YOU can't see why I had fun writing this chapter, but drama, suspense, and love triangles really are fun to write. I can feel the emotions my characters feel as I write it and it just makes me giddy to think of how you'll react! In fact, possibly one of the funniest reviews I've ever gotten came from a miss Marshmellow91:<br>_

**_DARE MY EYES DECIVE ME! WAS IT JUST ME OR WAS I ACCTUALLLY READING A RIMUTO? :O like where did this come from? did someone hit you with a stick? did someone rape your brain with no protection? Why why do this DeaNihptus *dramatic* WHYYYYYY?_**

**_ ~Runs away to murder Rima~_**

**_ For the first time in my life have i ever gotten the erge to murder ikuto and rima :O its devistating! PUT AMUTO BACKKKKK! 3 Amu and Ikuto ^-^_**

**_ ~Finds Rima and kills her~ :)_**

_The funniest part is that I in NO WAY expected this kind of a reaction. Thank you for making me laugh and do continue to review.  
>-Key to the Rose-Colored Clock<em>


	20. Chapter 20 Confront Me

Oh, you guys won't be pleased. This is a very short, yet somewhat eventful, chapter. It's not that I'm growing bored with this book, it's just that I'm anxious to finish it. We'll see how much longer it goes. Thanks for reading, by the way. : )

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><p>Amu couldn't shake the suspicion that something bad was happening. On the same day, just a few minutes apart, both her best friend and her boyfriend had called her. They each were coming over and had something important to say. Amu tried to convince herself that these two people had totally different things they wanted to talk about, but in her heart, she already knew the truth. Something was happening between Rima and Ikuto. Was it necessarily a bad thing? No. It could be good news, like their parents were getting together. Rima's parents were divorced and no one really knew were Ikuto's father was, so why couldn't their parents be dating? Maybe they had become good friends and wanted Amu to know. Maybe Rima was back with Nagihiko and Utau had left Kukai so they were both coming over to share the news. It was possible that their visit didn't have anything to do with the other, right?<p>

So while the confused teen waited impatiently in her room, pacing back and forth, considering every possible scenario, Ikuto and Rima walked to her home, hands locked, eyes sad. They had made their decision, and it was not a simple one, but it was the right one. Or, was it? Ikuto felt confident that eventually he would be forgiven, both by Amu and Rima. The latter, on the other hand, was not so sure. She, who was not quite as blinded by love as her friend; she was far more skeptical. Amu would feel betrayed and offended at least, but what else? Suicidal? She was not sure Amu was quite so rash, but teens are stupid. Rima gave Ikuto a meek smile and let go of his hand.

"Alright, let's do this thing." Ikuto said hesitantly as he knocked on the front door of the Hinamori residence. Mrs. Hinamori came to the door.

"Oh hello Ikuto. And Rima?" Mrs. Hinamori was surprised to see them standing so close to one another but did not think much of it. She let them in and returned to her housework, not sure what to expect of their visit. They slowly made their way to Amu's room, deserving what was about to happen a thousand times over. Amu ran to them, embracing them both. She looked for anything in their eyes that might make her believe all was well, but she saw nothing convincing. The three sat on Amu's bed, all three grimacing at the oncoming event. It was Rima who spoke first.

"Amu," she said. "We have something very grave to tell you, and it isn't easy." Amu nodded, unsure of what else to do. Rima was so angry with herself at that moment that she could not continue. She didn't want to have to break Amu's heart, but it was her fault she had to. She and Ikuto had brought this on themselves and no matter how hard it was, Amu deserved to know. But no matter how hard she tried, Rima just couldn't get the words out. She couldn't watch her friend crumble. She knew Ikuto was feeling the same way and was probably having a harder time than her, and that he would never say it first, so the burden of speaking was on her.

"Well, out with it!" Amu urged. Ikuto and Rima exchanged guilty looks.

"I have been dating Ikuto behind your back for the past few weeks." Amu took the news surprisingly well. She did not flinch, or tear up, or become angry. She seemed almost calmer than before.

"And," Ikuto added, "we are over. Done. We will never even look at each other again. We also understand if you feel the same way about us." The ex-couple waited breathlessly for their friends' response.

"Well, that's good, because I'm not sure if I ever _want_to see either of you again." Amu had managed to keep her pain under control for about half a minute, but she could no longer contain it. "I mean, who DOES that? Who dates her best friends boyfriend behind her back?" Rima lowered her head in shame, unwilling to even look at her friend.

"And YOU! YOU'RE MY BOYFRIEND! So I get amnesia because of you and you decide to date my best friend while I recover? And you CONTINUE to date her afterwards? Why? I thought you loved me!" Any attempts to keep quiet or control was gone. Amu was so shocked she was willing to kill them both if it would ease her pain.

"I do love you, Amu-"

"You love me? So what, you show your affection by breaking my heart into a million pieces? That may be your twisted idea of love but it sure isn't mine!"

"Amu you have every right to be angry-" Rima began, though Amu did not plan on letting her finish a sentence either.

"You're freaking right I do! What were you thinking Rima? Didn't you know this would destroy our friendship?" At this Amu seemed slightly less angry and a tad more hurt. Rima _should _have known. If she really cared for her friend, Rima wouldn't have dated Ikuto.

"Of course I knew! And I didn't want to, but I fell in love!" Amu laughed almost hysterically at this.

"In love? With Ikuto? Yeah I know the feeling. Or, at least, I DID." Ikuto and Amu's eyes only met for a moment, but it was enough to have an entire conversation. Ikuto looked at her pleadingly, begging her not to say that. She stared at him with accusing, unforgiving eyes as if to say 'you asked for it'. Ikuto returned with a look that seemed to say 'But we are telling you this to make it right. So we can move on and pretend it never happened." Of course, Amu did not care, and she ended their visual conversation.

"Oh Amu, no, don't say that! Ikuto and I are over. We decided your feelings are more important than our own. We love you too much to not have you in our lives!" Amu wanted to laugh at this too.

"Maybe you both should have thought about that beforehand." There was silence in the room.

"Amu, I understand that you're angry, but does this feel familiar?" Ikuto asked. Amu did not want to answer him, but she had been feeling a strange sense of Déjà vu

"What do you mean?" She asked, angry with herself for speaking to him. He deserved silence, or death, or something along that line. She couldn't fathom quite how she felt about him at the moment, but it was _not_affection she was feeling.

"Tadase." He said, and one word was all it took to make Amu gasp. When Tadase had gone to America the year before, Amu met Ikuto and began dating him while she dated Tadase. She didn't tell Tadase because she was still unsure who to choose. It was almost the exact same situation, with herself as Tadase. After realizing this and thinking about how hurt and angry she was, she had to give props to Tadase for forgiving her.

"Ikuto, don't play dirty!" Rima scolded in hushed voice.

"She needs to hear it. She's yelling at us when she did the exact same thing." Tears began to fall from Amu's eyes as she realized how right he was. She had done such horrible things to Tadase and now she was angry at them for doing it to her. She would have to forgive them both-

"It doesn't matter." She whispered, her eyes to the floor. "Y-you didn't have the decency to tell me from the beginning. You sn-snuck around behind my back. You've been in love all... all this time. Well, I wish you the best of luck in your relationship." Rima took a step forward.

"No Amu, we aren't together anymore!" She tried. Amu stared at them both defiantly.

"Get out of my house. I don't want to see either of you ever again." Ikuto and Rima tried to apologize, but Amu would hear none of it. They finally left, silently apologizing with their body-language. Rima turned to Ikuto and asked him what they would do. She noticed tears just before he turned away from her.

"Nothing. We knew what the result of our relationship would be. We can't have each other, and we can't have Amu. I'm going home. Bye, kid." At that moment, Rima felt helpless and terrified. She had no one left and no where to turn. Her relationship was returned to barely friendship with Ikuto, she would never be able to see Amu again, and Nagihiko...

"I need to see Nagihiko." She decided.

Ikuto and Rima were devastated to say the least, but neither of them would dare feel sorry for themselves because they knew whatever they were feeling, Amu was feeling with twice as much pain.


	21. Chapter 21 Nagihiko's a Busy Man

Thanks for reading! I'm so sorry that this book hasn't been updated in so long. I'm sure you'll forgive me. On with the chapter.

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><p>Rima knocked hesitantly on Nagihiko's door. Would he even answer? It seemed they were always on-again off-again these days. She had instructed him not to tell Amu about her relationship with Ikuto, but obviously that didn't matter anymore. Amu refused to have anything to do with her. Ikuto treated her like a little kid and ignored her at every chance. Nagihiko was the only person left. If he refused to talk to her, Rima wasn't sure what she would do. When the door opened, it was not Nagihiko's surprised expression that greet her, but Nadeshiko's. The girls both examined each other with puzzled expressions.<p>

"Na…Nagihiko?" She checked, not looking him in the eye.

"Technically." was the response. Rima sighed.

"Can I come in?" She wasn't sure if he would speak to her, let alone bring her into his home. He took a deep breath and tapped his foot on the ground. Rima half-smiled at him. He looked so… so… pretty! His pale skin, the light touches of make-up, the floral kimono—everything just seemed to illuminate his beauty so well.

"Why?" He asked coldly. Rima herself wasn't sure why she wanted to come in. She just did.

"To talk to you…" his angry expression didn't change. "and to update you on Amu?" His eyes lit up at the mention of Amu. Did that mean he was only interested in hearing about her, or he just needed this excuse to let her in? It didn't really matter to Rima. Whatever the reason, Nagihiko let her in.

"I'm doing a lesson right now, so you'll have to wait a bit." He said in his Nadeshiko voice. Rima sat down and watched Nagihiko for the next hour. He stretched, went through certain steps, and practiced harder ones. He danced flawlessly, though his mother always insisted he do the moves again. Rima couldn't believe the amount of balance and concentration Nagihiko had.

When the lesson was finally over, Rima followed Nagihiko into the kitchen. He drank an entire water-bottle before speaking.

"If you still want to talk, wait in my room. I'll go change in the bathroom." Sometimes Rima forgot that Nagihiko and Nadeshiko were the same people.

She sat impatiently on his bed, checking her phone every few seconds out of how uncomfortable she was. He entered the room in basketball shorts and a t-shirt. His long hair was no longer in a pony tail and hung freely down his back. Thankfully, the bits of make-up had been washed away as well.

He sat down next to her and smiled weakly. He knew what was coming. Whenever Rima saw his transformation, without fail, she always said:

"You're a very feminine man, Nagihiko." He chucked at her over-used joke but returned to his seriousness almost immediately.

"I'm waiting. Update me." He instructed, giving her no chance to talk about anything else.

"Right. Well Ikuto and I broke up." Nagihiko didn't seem surprised at all. In fact, he seemed completely un-phased. As if Rima hadn't even said anything that mattered yet.

"I'm not hearing the 'Amu' part of the update…" Rima blushed a bit. He really only wanted to hear about Amu. He didn't even care that she was single again.

"Oh, yeah. Well we… we told her. And obviously she isn't speaking to us." Nagihiko's cold, uncaring expression was like a stab to the heart. "And Ikuto is acting like nothing ever happened between us! He won't even talk to me! Tadase… well I'm not really all that close with him anymore. No one really understands what I'm going through! I'm terrified to talk to you because I know you hate me just like Amu and Ikuto! And you're-"

"Whoa, whoa—Hate you?" Rima nodded in response. Small tear droplets were forming in her eyes. Nagihiko didn't speak. He grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. In seconds she was crying, letting out all her angers and fears and frustrations onto Nagihiko's shoulder. They sat like this for a few minutes, with Rima occasionally mumbling something and Nagihiko stroking her hair or saying something soothing.

"I've never hated you." He whispered. Rima looked at him, her eyes widened in innocence. She searched for any signs that he may be joking. To show his sincerity, he kissed her cheek.

"Was that an 'I still love you' kiss or an 'I hope you feel better now' kiss?" She checked, a bit embarrassed.

"I do still love you, but that was an 'I hope you feel better now' kiss." Rima smiled at his honesty.

"After all this… I'm not sure I'm ready to date again." She sighed, squeezing his hand.

"I know. And I'm willing to wait for you to be ready. But that doesn't mean I'll wait forever. If I didn't know you better, I'd think you were stringing me alone. So I'll wait a bit longer. I hope you understand my reasoning." Of course she understood it. In fact, it made perfect sense! But it still hurt to hear.

"Okay, that's fair. Do you want to hang out though? If I go home I'll just be bored." Nagihiko smiled and assured her she was welcome to stay as long as she'd like. After a few hours of various fun games, he got a strange text from Amu.

"It says: 'Nagihiko, you've always been very special to me and I'd like to talk to you, if you don't mind.' What do you think she wants?" Rima's stomach did a little twist. What _did_ Amu want? Maybe she had finally noticed how trustworthy Nagihiko was. Not just trustworthy, but stable and dependable. Kind and considerate too. Nagihiko was _everything_ to Rima, even if she wasn't ready to date him. Maybe Amu saw him as the perfect opportunity for revenge against her back-stabbing friend? Of course, maybe Amu genuinely wanted to talk to him.

"It… could be anything. I think you should talk to her if you can." Nagihiko noticed the tenseness in Rima's voice. He raised an eyebrow to her but she merely arched her back and lifted her chin. _I deserve this_, she seemed to say. _I'm going to take it with all my dignity. _Nagihiko nodded solemnly. He knew whatever he was getting him into, it was coated in drama.

Nagihiko fell to the ground, dead. His cold, lifeless body was being prepared to be mutilated and incinerated. A tiny blond stood over the corpse with a slight smile. Nagihiko sighed.

"Rima will you please stop imagining my death?" He never would have expected that one day in his life he would need to ask this question. Rima looked at him with a shocked expression.

"How did you know?" She demanded, her arms crossed. Nagihiko stopped walking just long enough to laugh.

"Was it your devilish gaze, wicked smile, or unnatural cackle that gave you away? Take your pick. Alright, we're at your house." Rima frowned.

"But I want to hear what Amu says!" She pouted, her lower lip quivering. Nagihiko didn't fall for it for one second.

"She wants to talk to me alone though." He reminded her. Her determined face remained unmoved.

"I'll hide!" She suggested. Nagihiko merely rolled his eyes.

"Goodbye, Rima. See you later." Reluctantly Rima began walking into her home. "And stop imagining my death!" He called, only half joking.

"Oh come on! You couldn't even see me!" Nagihiko couldn't help but laugh.

When he finally arrived at the meeting place—the jungle gym of a small neighborhood park—Amu was already there. She was hanging upside down by her knees with a very serious look on her face. Nagihiko wondered how she could think in such a ridiculous situation. He waved to catch her attention. Once she was on her own two legs again and the blood had returned to where it belonged through-out her body, she sat on the swings.

"Sorry I'm late. I walked Rima home." Amu's face fell.

"Oh… then I suppose she already told you?" Amu checked. In a way, she was relieved by his returning nod. Now she wouldn't have to retell the horrible, heart-breaking story. "Okay then. I brought you here because I don't know what to do. How can I ever be friends with Rima again? And I know I have to forgive Ikuto because I did the same thing to Tadase and he forgave me… what am I supposed to do?" She pleaded. It wasn't difficult to notice how confused she was. She _wanted_ to be friends again. She _wanted_ to love Ikuto again. But after everything that happened, she didn't see how she could.

"Amu… will you forgive them then?"

Silence.

Amu wasn't sure what her answer was. She had come to Nagihiko for the answer!

"Alright, a different question; Assuming you forgive them, will you become friends with Ikuto or go back to your relationship?" Amu hadn't really considered it that way. There really were three choices: Never forgive him, forgive and become friends, and forgive and date again.

"Well Tadase and I stayed friends…so I guess we'd just be friends." Now Nagihiko smiled.

"But can you really just be friends? I know from experience how it'll go. Ikuto will wait for you. Slowly but surely you'll fall for him again. And one day, when you're ready, he'll come back into your life. Because that's just how true love works. You can't tell because your heart is overcome with the pain of betrayal, but beneath that is the pain resulting from not being with Ikuto." Amu was silent yet again. Was Nagihiko right? And what did he mean by 'I know from experience'. Surely he couldn't be talking about Rima?

Amu considered very closely the things he said. She took a deep breath and expelled all the anger and hurt over him cheating on her. Beneath it she felt a longing. A longing for Ikuto. Could Nagihiko possibly be right?

"What does this mean?" She questioned, her head in her hands. Amu wasn't one to be overly dramatic. She wouldn't be feeling the way she did if there wasn't a valid reason. It was definitely right of her to be upset. It was right of her to break up with Ikuto. But everything felt so wrong.

"That's something you've got to figure out on your own, Amu." Amu nodded. She knew what she would do.


End file.
